3.3. Cost and Timeliness of Projects

More than 80% of the houses were totally damaged by 2001 earthquake. The reconstructions, so this was the existing before the earthquake that was the layout and this was the newly located village layout. You can see here that these yellow colours are abandoned places and some people who do not have any land rights in this area, no land rights, they do not have any formal land rights and many people they did not relocate it.

In this chunk, we learn about the severe impact of the 2001 earthquake which destroyed over 80% of houses in the affected area. The reconstruction efforts were based on a new layout that was different from what existed before. Many people who had lost their homes couldn't relocate to the new site due to lack of formal land rights, leading to many houses being abandoned.

Imagine a town that has suffered a devastating flood, washing away most homes. As recovery begins, instead of rebuilding homes in the same neighborhood, officials decide to rebuild them miles away in a new layout. Many residents, unable to claim ownership or feeling disconnected from the new layout, choose not to move, leaving the newly built homes empty.

This is the number of occupancy in the new, you can see these new constructed house is lying empty, the cost of dwelling units was 1 lakh 20,000 Indian rupees according to that time comparatively much higher. So, most of the houses are vacant, only yellow part you can occupied and you can see here that many people did not actually relocate it to the newly constructed house because it is a totally different layout and people did not accept that one.

Despite the construction of new homes at a significant cost of 1 lakh 20,000 Indian rupees, many of these units remained unoccupied. The reason was the fundamental difference in layout from the old community structure, leading residents to refuse relocation and remain in their original areas.

Think of a community that has always shared a close-knit village square. After a disaster, they build new homes with a completely different layout, far away from each other. Many residents prefer to stay in their old, familiar homes rather than move into these new houses that feel strange and isolating, despite the new homes being costly.

They have health center but, people are not using that. Ayurvedic health centre also, this is not used by the people, the schools are there is primarily; primary school, this is working well, people are using it, people are sending their kids there, panchayat office is rebuilt, electricity installed, telecommunication system was installed.

Although a health center and Ayurvedic facility were established, they remained unused by residents. In contrast, the primary school was actively utilized, indicating a disconnect between the provided services and community needs. However, essential infrastructure such as electricity and telecommunications were successfully installed.

Imagine a new community center that offers various health services, but no one shows up because they feel the services do not cater to their actual needs. However, a nearby school that serves the community well is thriving as families value education for their children and prioritize sending them there.

Constructions; those who are rich they did not relocate better off and they build their own house in the damaged side, some people who did not have the land tenure rights, they constructed temporary houses or got a temporary houses and remaining there, they were not included into the reconstruction projects and the newly constructed projects remain unoccupied.

We see a division where wealthier individuals opted to build their own homes on damaged sites instead of participating in the new housing project. Conversely, those lacking land rights built temporary homes, remaining outside the official reconstruction efforts, which resulted in many new houses remaining empty.

Picture a neighborhood where wealthier families can afford to rebuild their homes while others, without formal ownership or funds, construct makeshift homes nearby. The new government-built houses stand empty, as those with means choose to bypass them, creating a disparity in living conditions.

Because, these people preferred to live together, they did not like this new iron-grid pattern of layout, it was done by the Hindustan Benevolent. There was no training program, allocation of financial assistance given to the NGO directly and decision makings, villages were not involved into the decision-making process.

Residents expressed discontent with the new grid layout imposed by the NGO, as it disrupted their community ties. The absence of training programs and a lack of involvement in decision-making further alienated villagers from the reconstruction process.

Imagine a close-knit community where everyone communicates and supports each other, then an outside organization comes in with plans that don’t consider their opinions. The community feels their identity is stripped away, which leads to dissatisfaction and rejection of the changes.

So, what do we see here that no utilisations of local resources designed by the NGO, no training program, NGO decide every aspect; very weak organizational setup and absence of ownership right, people refuse this one and absence of monitoring also. As a result, this project was very high cost and took some time but it was most way that socially not accepted, it was rejected by the villages and the project did not help to enhance people's awareness and the houses are poorly maintained.

The reconstruction project failed due to neglect of local resources, absence of training, and a lack of resident involvement. The high costs and time taken for completion did not resonate with the villagers, leading to the project being socially rejected and poorly maintained houses.

Consider a situation where a school is built without consulting the community on what they need. Even though it costs a lot and takes time, if it does not fit the community's values or needs, it might be neglected and poorly kept, as families don’t see it as their own.

In community NGO partnership approach, we have Ludiya village, there is 100 kilometer north from Bhuj, area is around 5 square kilometer, total population is 1800 mainly by Harijans and Muslims population comprised by literacy rate was 35%, there also occupation was animal husbandry, wood carving and cultivations.

The next part of the text refers to an alternative approach in Ludiya village, where a community partnership approach was taken. It mentions the demographic and occupational structure of the village, indicating that understanding the local context is crucial for effective interventions.

Imagine a successful local farmers' market where community members collaborate to sell their goods. Unlike top-down solutions, the success comes from understanding local needs and involving everyone in decision-making, ensuring everyone benefits.

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