PROJECT - I
Conventionally, house roofs in Kerala are thatched with either coconut leaves or earthen tiles. With the advent of science and technology RCC as well as sheets of asbestos, tin, aluminum, glass, fibre etc has begun to replace them. In the process thatched houses, especially of coconut leaves, which are looked down upon as outdated, are few and far between in urban areas. The ones existing now belong to the economically weaker section of society. The owners of such houses often find it very difficult to re-thatch them every year.
A survey recently conducted indicates that there are about two dozen leaf-thatched houses within the limit of Kesavadev Road Residents' Association and that they are occupied mostly by daily-wage earners. The estimated average cost for thatching these houses amounts to Rs.3500/- per annum. This means that the house-owner has to set apart about Rs.300/- from his meagre income every month.
It was in this context that the Executive Committee of the Association, as suggested by President Shri T H Lawrence, explored the possibility of replacing the leafy roofs with synthetic sheets free so that the recurring expense of thatching them annually could be avoided. The committee was earnest in its approach and thought that this project would be a symbol of KRRA's conspicuous service.
An American well-wisher family (Mrs & Mr Patrick), on request, offered a donation of 100 USD. Encouraged by this external gesture of goodwill two committee members (S/Shri T H Lawrence and Aby Mathw) rose to the occasion and supplemented the cost to translate the project into a reality. The house, KRRA-100, selected for the roof-change belongs to one Smt Thanki of Kurattoor Lane. The total cost came to over Rs.10,000/-.
The pictures shown here bear visible testimony to our venture.
Before
After
