Model shelter homes for quake victims exhibited
By Adnan Rafique

ISLAMABAD—Keeping in view the acute shortage of tents and the upcoming harsh chilly winter, which would add to the misery of the homeless people languishing in the quake hit areas of Kashmir and NWFP, the Ministry of Youth Affairs, in collaboration with a local company, has introduced a model of shelter homes. The initiative has been taken on special directions by Senator Muhammad Ali Durrani, who has launched a massive rescue and relief campaign for the earthquake victims.
The shelter homes’ model was displayed for journalists and common public at Sports Complex Relief Camp, at the premises of Pakistan Sports Board, on Sunday. These shelter homes would not only provide homes and protection to the affected families but would also offer shield from the upcoming cold windy wet winter conditions.
Naseer Ahmad, Chief Executive Nasco, has furnished this model on volunteer basis. Each unit consists of six makeshift rooms of 8 cubic feet each and each room would provide refuge to at least eight people. The roofs of the rooms are sloppy in shape and the structure has been made by square form steel rods. Galvanized sheets have been used for the walls of the structure while the galvanized corrugated sheets have been used for the roof.
The structure technically is very sound and the whole material can be shifted to anywhere within two hours. The hut-like structure comprises of galvanized sheets and steel rods. At least thirty-six such structures can be shifted by trucks and are fixed by the use of screws with some hours’ time. Each unit contains load of at least one ton and this weight helps the structure maintain its balance even in windy weather. As the shelter homes are a makeshift arrangement, these sheets can be reused in the rehabilitation process. A unit of six rooms costs Rs 72,500/- which each room would cost a mere amount of Rs 12,084/- which is cheapest shelter by all means. Blankets and thermo-pore can be used at the floor to avoid cold or wet conditions.
Meanwhile, Chairman Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Cell Lt. General Mohammad Zubair along with Senator Mohammad Ali Durrani Sunday visited Sports Complex Relief Camp established by youth ministry and inspected the model shelter homes model displayed at the premises of sports complex. Gen Zubair hailed the presentation and also floated suggestions in this regard. Mohammad Ali Durrani briefed general Zubair that the presentation was a humble effort on voluntary basis to get the attention of philanthropists and donor organizations to follow the set model and provide it to the needy shelter-less victims of the disaster.