Light House Projects: Country has taken a different approach as PM Modi

New Delhi, Jan 01: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday virtually laid the foundation stone of the Light House Projects under the Global Housing Technology Challenge-India.

Today, the country has taken a different approach. We have decided to change the approach towards housing. Why should the country not get better technology?" PM Modi said.

The same was conceptualised by the Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs. The project aims at identifying mainstream several innovative technologies from across the the world which are sustainable and disaster resistant.

Union minister for housing and urban affairs Hardeep Singh Puri, and chief ministers of Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, respectively were also present.

"On the first day of 2021, will be taking part in a programme aimed at transforming India's urban landscape. Will lay the foundation stone of Light House Projects and distribute PMAY (Urban) and ASHA-India awards," PM Modi tweeted.

Six cities across the country have been selected as "live laboratories" for a pilot project under which 1,000 houses will be built using innovative technologies that are low-cost, sustainable and disaster-resistant, according to a senior official of the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry.

On the sidelines of the Construction Technology India - 2019 (CTI-2019) Expo-cum-conference here, HUA Secretary Durga Shanker Mishra told reporters that 54 Proven Technology Providers with 32 new technologies from 25 countries were evaluated by the Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) at the exposition.

"Six cities have been identified to serve as live laboratories for the Lighthouse project. These are Rajkot (Gujarat), Ranchi (Jharkhand), Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Agartala (Tripura) and Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh)," he said.

Mishra said technology adoption will happen in not only these six states, but also in other states and Union Territories.

Over the recent launch of the third edition of the Vulnerability Atlas of India, the official said he would soon be writing to all states to use its assessment before beginning construction activities in their cities.
Vulnerability Atlas of India is a collation of the existing hazard scenario of the entire country.

Overall, CTI-2019 saw participation of about 2,500 delegates from 32 countries. Fifty-four exhibitors with 32 innovative technologies from 25 countries were in display at the expo. The conference had four plenary sessions, six technical sessions including a World Cafe and three master classes.

Topics discussed at the session included reforms to bring an urban renaissance with an integrated approach to address urban challenges, ensuring livability and desirability of affordable housing, skills and human resources in construction sector, enabling eco-system for new construction technologies, innovations in construction equipment manufacturing sector among others.

The conference was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday who declared 'April 2019-March 2020' as Construction-Technology year and stressed on use of advanced technology to meet the increasing demand of housing in the country caused by rapid urbanisation.