Surfaces that work

In many urban spaces of the country, male children are happy when the road surface in front of their house or in near vicinity has been laid nicely. They have a practice pitch on, and many will have memories associated with it after they have grown older. Good work, local contractor and municipal engineer. The children, male ones, thank you.

All fine, but, read the link why I’ve always been asserting why cricketers and politicians have nothing to do with building the country. Ok Ok, baba, this is how things are, and this is how we work out an issue in the country. Let time and money sort it out.

Some fans agree preparing a cricket pitch is an art and needs some technical inputs too. In addition to what’s visible on the surface, i.e. its planar length and width, the depth and quality of material used in making this pitch has to follow some basic standards, and some technical requirements?

A very appropriate tweeter tweet I found today through a hilarious post on India Uncut. The Prem Panicker tweet reads as

Strange: so NDT’s bedroom antics bother us. But not the corruption? Strange sense of priorities.

On similar lines:
Area of One cricket pitch at Firojshah kotla = 61.3160064 m2
Approximate area of road network in India = 10,000,000,000 m2

Rightly said - "Strange sense of priorities".

Bridge collapse – River Chambal

Place: Kota, Rajasthan, India.
Project Cost: Around Fifty Million USD.

Forty or forty-five believed dead is not about dying, it is actually about collectively dying - on the foredrop excuse of building the country. Something to be proud of? Or, something to honor? Of course these events will continue to happen when you put cricketers to build buildings.

For the comparative pictures here, sorry dear cricketers, it is understandable you are only entertainers. There are others - including professionals like us, to blame for apathy to the concept of safety at sites.

The victims, famously known in the country as labourers, are again from all over India - especially UP, WB and Bihar etc.

the Me, the Farmer, and the Stone Mason

South of Pune in Western India is a spot on the Deccan Plateau – also a geomorphological name for this basalt-rock dominant region. An urban visitor here obviously would enjoy the unique landscape in its rural surrounds, and perhaps also the Reinforced Concrete cum Brick buildings which mostly in last ten to twenty years has started to densely dominate this landscape - considered an indicator of development by many.

One local farmer who also has worked his way out of the fading drought in these last few decades, is economically more secure now, and now plans to build his new house with this new composite system, i.e. cement, steel and bricks. When I asked him, “When you have so much of stone around and earlier you used to build beautifully styled houses with this stone, why would you need this kind of steel-cement-brick-stone combination house?”. He had replied, “But where on earth do you get a stone mason nowadays!” - With perhaps a mix of sarcasm and irritation on his face. Sarcasm - because, he must have been wondering why stylish looking city people like me would so easily recommend an old way house to a villager folk. Irritation – obviously, because of the unavailability of the Stone Mason -who is now a Modern Mason. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have minded a beautifuller house?

Now, like many enlightened urban and a built environment professional if I wonder about quality, safety and sustainability of these houses, which are homes, I also wonder what avenues exist to empower and inform this villager and this most important guy, the mason. Doesn’t the system needs to resource its development in this direction too rather than the constant bureaucratic old schemes such as Reverend XYZ Awaas Yojna (Free or subsidized housing schemes for the poor)?

Importance of Infrastructure Inspection and Maintenance Regime

Welcome to the Indian New Year.

A common Indian man to enjoy the benefits which these modern times offer would turn to an artisan, who in turn would turn to other artisans, thus making up a team of experts and onsite workers. Collectively, they would all come up with complex but engineered schemes to construct the essential important infrastructure.

With plenty happening around, these two big mishaps in the last fortnight would get into news headlines. In one – the most important local travel system in the commercial capital of the country was disheveled for a few days (I am not counting one or two dead, and some ten injured, since it is a low figure in the context), and in the second – the fire in the depot of an Indian Oil and Gas giant accumulated losses of about 500 Crore Indian Rupees (100 Million USD) and some ten odd got so much burnt that they died.

The sensible artisans related would complain of lack of money, corrupt system, uncooperative peer agencies, lethargic workmen, but will pin hopes into the basics of ‘inspection and maintenance regime’ and make up some resolutions to follow it. So, life would go on.

And, what about already known bad-track record of the above both – making up an average score of ten killed every day?

In other words, unless this problem of slow unseen deaths is not solved, and no matter however hard one tries by learning from these big time accidents, the resulting dead will still be a concerning figure.

Thus, dedication to an ‘inspection and maintenance regime’ is a must. There is no other way out. Explain to me, how can any country really develop if it doesn’t want to put some extra efforts into the safety of its people and its site workers? (Note, it is different to humanity.)

Hmmph! some artisan’s job!

p.s. Also, I am not yet aware of local travel website for Mumbai, and IOC website draws a blank on these incidents.

JW Powell and Wallace Stegner

"Beyond the Hundredth Meridian" is a biography on legendary John Wesley Powell (also, Wiki link) by the legendary Wallace Stegner (also, Wiki link). A must read book, has some paragraphs, where Stegner quotes Powell; and is pretty relevant why an ordinary construction workman’s life could be as important.

As following –

By the division of labor men have become interdependent, so that every man works for some other man. To the extent that culture has progressed beyond the plane occupied by the brute, man has ceased to work directly for himself and come to work directly for others and indirectly for himself. He struggles directly to benefit others, that he may indirectly but ultimately benefit himself. This principle of political economy ... must be fully appreciated before we can thoroughly understand the vast extent to which interdependence has been established. For the glasses which I wear, mines were worked in California, and railroads constructed across the continent to transport the product of those mines to the manufactories in the East. For the bits of steel on the bow, mines were worked in Michigan, smelting- works were erected in Chicago ... Merchant houses and banking houses were rendered necessary. Many men were employed in producing and bringing that little instrument to me. As I sit in my library to read a book, I open the pages with a paper cutter, the ivory of which was obtained through the employment of a tribe of African elephant hunters. The paper on which my book is printed was made of the rags saved by the beggars of Italy. A watchman stands on guard in Hoosac Tunnel that I may some time ride through it in safety. If all the men who have worked for me, directly and indirectly, for the past ten years, and who are now scattered through the four quarters of the earth, were marshaled on the plain outside of the city, organized and equipped for war, I could march to the proudest capital of the world and the armies of Europe could not withstand me. I am the master of all the world. But during all my life I have worked for other men, and thus I am every man's servant ; so are we all — servants to many masters and masters of many servants. It is thus that men are gradually becoming organized into one vast body-politic, every one is striving to serve his fellow-man and all working for the common welfare. Thus the enmity of man to man is appeased, and men live and labor for one another ; individualism is transmuted into socialism, egoism into altruism, and man is lifted above the brute to an immeasurable height...

After this note, Wallace categorically states –

He (JW Powell) did man more honor than he deserved. Not everyone was yet willing, at least in 1878, to work for the common welfare or even agree what the common welfare was. Not everybody in the west, not everybody in congress.

Balco Structural collapse

What possibly can an Indian and Chinese collaboration in construction sector achieve? Since, there just are too many of us, sometimes wonders and sometimes a large number of dead.

This time the news of forty nine dead and Chinese being chased at the Indian airports on TV screens or newspapers did not bother me. Not because the reports were small in length but that I have now become complacent with these accidents becoming a routine.

Majority of dead in this Balco Power plant 23rd Sept 2009 collapse which happened in Korba, Chhattisgarh, India; were from the central and eastern belt of India i.e. Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh states.

Media reports after ten odd days give some consolidated picture. As following:

1. Either poor quality or extreme wind is the most likely cause of collapse.
2. A police report has been launched against the management of the companies and they are being questioned.
3. Bihar and Jharkhand state governments each have announced compensations of One lakh rupees per dead head. The company, 5 lakh.

But as an engineer what one can ask is, and what remains is:

1. What were the general procedures set up for safety at site?
2. Did the ‘Construction Method Statement’ (a document which details out the erection work procedure) for a specialist construction like this mentions risks and safety features?
3. Who assumes responsibilities for the above?
4. Will the causes of collapse be examined by a technical committee, will there be some lessons, and will it be put on public domain?
   

As a common man all I can now ask for is some clarity with the compensation.

A song must come in between

Woody Guthrie was an American musician, who in the earlier part of last century extensively travelled his country. Some glorify him that he took trains without ticket and some argue him being a lefty. Whatever, Woody does has lots of beautiful songs which bring into limelight the conditions of working people in the then America. ‘The Great Grand Coulee’ – is one such song. Now the contention here is that Woody was paid some good fee and comforts of a limousine to glorify these big structures along the Columbia basin as well as building the resources that America needed for the coming big war. Result - some mighty fine lines. The YouTube link does not has the original song, but this attached video has his son Arlo (Woodstock 69 fame), probably half a century later. Have a read at the lyrics too.

‘Great Grand Coulee Dam’ - An amazing example where one artist is glorified by the other.



Well the world owns seven wonders as the travelers always tell.
Some gardens and some towers, I guess you know them well.
But now the greatest wonder is in Uncle Sam's fair land.
That King Columbia River and the great Grand Coulee Dam.

She come up the Canadian Rockies where the crystal waters glide,
Comes a-roaring down the canyon to meet that salty tide
From the great Pacific Ocean to where the sun sets in the west,
That big Grand Coulee country in that land I love the best.

Oh Uncle Sam took up the notion in the year of thirty three,
For the factory and the farmer and for all of you and me.
He said: roll it on Columbia, you can roll out to the sea
But river, while you're rolling you can do some work for me.

In the misty glitter of that wild and windward spray,
Men have fought the pounding waters and met a watery grave.
Once she tore men's boats to splinters but she gave men dreams to dream,
That day that Grand Coulee dam went across that wild and restless stream.

Now from Washington and Oregon you can hear them factories a-hum,
Making corn and making manganese and light aluminum.
Always a flying fortress to blast for Uncle Sam,
That King Columbia river and the great Grand Coulee dam.

Well the world owns seven wonders as the travelers always tell.
Some gardens and some towers, I guess you know them well.
But now the greatest wonder is in Uncle Sam's fair land.
That King Columbia river and the great Grand Coulee Dam.

Woody Guthrie

The border road builders

As we read this in the comforts of our chair, somewhere outside in the extreme and isolated Indian side of the Himalayas there are two kinds of people working day and night to ensure its continuous accessibility.

Working for the BRO (Border Roads Organisation) - an engineering entity - this insurgency infested and naturally hazardous terrain has experts and soldiers deputed from the Indian Army and the GREF (General Reserve Engineer Force). This Wikipedia link would tell more. Their perpetual task - maintenance and construction of roads, bridges, communication towers, electricity and other structures.

Dodging the more than frequent landslides, which happen anywhere anytime, these men in service to their nation work along with the another unsung and lesser appreciated group – the temporarily contracted labourers from eastern part of tribal Jharkhand, Nepal, and the local Mistris (artisans). Google search many a times will yield interesting information on the issues related to these workers; one such link is here. Also, I am sure, through the huge Google there will be a buried page on adolescent labour which either goes unnoticed, or may I allege, deliberately ignored. Otherwise, the labour scene along these border roads is lesser pitiful if one wants to compare it with the South Asians in the Middle East. In their own country, these men at least have an air of freedom and a larger ownership.

BRO has to protect the country’s borders, which its men will at any cost; even if they are badly under resourced. The job, evidently tough, is always done because the stake and spirits both are high. Serious thoughts are needed, which basically for starters, is only a matter of equipping these two groups of men with better technologies; one- to build better performing structures and second, to beat the cold.

Until then, these BRO creative road signs on these border roads, basically safety messages (link to a travel blog, by painted stork), inspired by the present life saviors rum or whiskey get undeniably witty.

Where is the mason gone?

Surya has a well established practice in Ahmedabad, and amongst many interesting architecture he has done in his over a couple decade practice from here, strongly believes in (and has executed) load bearing masonry structures which go as much as five stories high.

He (like me) is bemused that why most constructers are into believing that in such mid height buildings, concrete with steel inside will be the strongest of all? Why is the skill with masonry, abundant a plenty in this country not trusted? Well, it is just a muse, and leaving apart the sustainability benefits of masonry is about the mason. Instead of utilizing the Masons skill, what we now do is give the masonry mason two concrete pillars reinforced, and tell him to do whatever he wants to in between them; which will eventually be plastered - in turn killing him by killing his art.

Dipan (Mason Trainer series -1)

Since a while I have been pondering if on this blog, I could cover more of the real things happening in the field. So, writing a few lines on active people or organizations into capacity building works wouldn’t be all bad. Isnt it?.. And without much effort and almost zero cost, I found one. I start with one such guy, name - ‘Dipan’.

Dipan heads an Ahmedabad based NGO, SEP (Society for Environment Protection). One of the core activities conducted by them is of imparting training to the building masons/artisans in the Indian states of Gujarat and Tamilnadu.

Dipan was my undergraduate engineering batch-mate from the school and since then a great friend. Since, I know him since my juvenile ages, let me tell you where it all came from. The lack of quality in construction had concerned and excited him since the college days. Dedicated to his studies and extracurricular activities such as elected post to the academics secretary in senior years, Dipan was close to activism as well as quality engineering.

Now a professional training organization, Dipan’s SEP conducts 5 day training sessions for the skilled and 21 days module for the semi skilled masons. A training batch would include thirty masons, and the skills covered are of masonry, concreting, formwork and bar-bending. A training module in cost-effective technologies is soon on the cards. Conducting these mason training events with assistance or/and coordination from agencies like BMTPC, GSDMA, SWATI etc., SEP provides its own certificate to the attending masons, which the masons really value. But, Dipan echoes that a comprehensive workers certification system in India is the need of the hour, and it is extremely important that is introduced. So, a good quality practice can be ensured from the people involved in construction. This certification, which is not just a mere paper exercise, but regionally evaluated and nationally recognised.

I had asked him to quote some philosophical quote, which I could write when I write about him in my blog. He avoided an answer. So I asked him again, “okay, tell me, what do you think, has the house construction practice in India improved recently?”

To which he replied, “Yes, definitely a lot in the last few years, but still, there is miles to go!”

Here you go a philosophical quote from Dipan.

The ordinary site work

It seems, this man, the site labourer, is everywhere. He wins the competition (India got talent link) and he is the many who kills himself binging hooch (recent Gujarat tragedy). Seems, many of them, as evident from the numbers here, are looking only for some recreational activity in otherwise their strugglesome daily lives. As if, the job which they regularly do their whole day, which is building something, in other words creating something doesn’t entail any joy...

The concept of life

Chandrayaan-1 mission was earlier a two year mission, now likely to be reduced to about one - CNN, BBC, The Hindu . Juxtaposing, something similar is happening with the country’s buildings too, some failing during their service and some overused - CNN, BBC, The Hindu . Not aiming to demean the creativity, hard efforts and marvellous work by the engineers; consideration of this ‘working life’ too lightly by them, could have its bearing on the culture of casualness. Perhaps, as casual a consideration, towards the ‘working life’ of creatures who work at the construction sites.

The impact of current drought on building masons in India

The after-effects of a natural rain drought is such that it starts affecting a common rural building mason straight away. Earlier half-dependent on his crops and half on nearby people, he now starts to migrate to cities or other places looking for work which would earn. He could have changed his profession, which he many a times does, but now the scale of a new economy and construction boom in India provides him work requiring almost the same skill set, thus a more relevant source of livelihood - mind this, just the livelihood.

To tackle this near chronic problem some programmes backed by the government are already in place, but they lack the support and vigour they need to address the scale within which they exist; so egalitarians are disenchanted. Now it seems, one surrogate alternative that everybody has accepted is that managing the country’s economics shall improve lives. The Indian policy makers have declared that they have heaved a respite sigh, because the estimated GDP is around 9% expected this year, and the failure of agriculture because of lack of water i.e. the rains would lead to only 1% reduction to the above GDP. In other words, the high GDP will absorb the drought shock, and the failure of agriculture because of lack in water improvement policies of the country would not stunt country’s growth again this year.

The claim from above is that people will lead better lives, but which kind of people, is yet to be clarified. For the GDP, of which more than fifty percent mainly comes from the service sector and twenty another from manufacturing, is it a straight forward answer that more than eighty percent population of the country affected by this drought will benefit? Building workers are a major chunk of them. However, it seems that although policies aim for equality, the polity is concerned about its vote bank. Arguably, I will still term this populist news that the government quickly declared 246 districts (out of around 500) in the country as drought affected and special measures are needed, as something positive. The states have been informed to do their best bit and the centre would pay along with. Store enough food in the granaries and guarantee 100 man day labour job. Keep the poor man alive... I call this positive (though not really comparable to the humanist claim for better living conditions), because doing or saying something is way better than keeping mum, as has been in the past. Also, it is a little better that hurrying up with relief trucks.

One obvious way is by channelizing the GDP earnings towards these people suffering. But, for how long will the numbers work in favour? One fundamental way to arrest this seemingly chronic problem could be by improving the skills, capacities and living conditions of these workmen. These improved skills shall then also be helpful for constructing the badly needed quality water management infrastructure, so to say, to manage drought and floods, which must come in place sooner rather than later. In other words, asking for radical improvements in the way water is managed, as well as expecting improvement in the capacities of the construction workforce, is a dire need of today.

A thought on common reporting of infrastructure and building projects across India

I stumbled upon this blog last night. Basically, it is a take-on and an encapsulation of the short decadal history of Bandra-Worli Sea link. The article’s concerns are obvious, and it stands apart from the usual ones going gaga over the structure.

An important need is reflected by such article, and many similar which we frequently come across on newspapers and mass print magazines. Written with personal passion, cavernously universal concern, with a sprinkle of sensationalism, and a little lack of engineering insight - today’s reporting reflects the need for quality articles which provide non-biased reports of such intricate engineering projects abundant across the country.

On other hand, such projects are rarely highlighted as an achievement, which are executed by engineers and workmen under hostile and difficult site conditions; many risking and many loosing their lives, to say the least.

Paving Expert

Thank you McCormacks, for your ‘hands on’ - not only when thumping the tiles to the mortar below, but also on the keyboard bringing this forward to a larger community.

The work is indeed commendable www.pavingexpert.com

Although the site is more applicable to the UK context, its comprehensiveness should be really useful to anyone inclined towards the art of paving.

Site Safety – DMRC’s case - Part 2

In continuation to previous post - this interesting concrete site has a post on the 12th July 2009 DMRC collapse. It also has the youtube video link which had flashed on the television channels.

Although a high profile public project like this may not escape the general wrath for such a miscalculation, hope this incidence is used by the larger construction fraternity in the country as a reminder to a generally callous approach to safety at work sites.

Site Safety – DMRC’s case

The news of collapse at the DMRC site is worse than the last one about a year ago. In spite of that lesson, this time the numbers were slightly higher. This reflects the sloppy attitude of a country which aspires to be a superpower towards its own proletariat, and why safety at sites is not important (An opinion in my earlier post). Insight into concerns and comments of this project by Indian Structural Enginnering fraternity can be seen on SEFI website:

1. This year’s collapse (under discussion)
2. The last year’s collapse

A moral resignation is probably the only recourse for the venerable chief, and the democratic Delhi government not accepting it. Because, the cause is Delhi’s development, congestion in the backdrop, and the recent excuse - the commonwealth games. Give me a break - because a city like Delhi hosted somewhat equivalent but bigger Asian games way back in 1982. Twenty five years later, perhaps games size of Olympics should be the concern! Or, perhaps since it is 'The Commonwealth', the British Queen can take some moral responsibility? Absurd if this sounds, then I will only hope, that if not the Queen’s, then at least this resignation will ensue some sensibility into the stakeholders, who now need to exhibit a sincere and a collective effort, rather than the blame game.

On a smaller note - Since like this post, a website is an instantaneous medium, why the Delhi Metro website doesn’t say anything? The organisation seems to have a vigilance unit too. If not lessons, even a little apology could be a nicer gesture to support the cause of development?

Seniman and Pengrajin and others

A light simple post this. Think it's Indonesian ...

Along the highway - Part -II

Sarkhej-Gandhinagar highway (part 1 in previous post) has cars zooming at a speed of 100kmph. Definitely, dangerous enough to kill any one if there’s a knock. Four lanes are separated by an upstand divider in between. About five men (or women) are working on some modification to this, so they need one innermost lane. Just about a foot or two away from them, the sixth one is standing on the road and has a placard for the oncoming traffic. Legible, once you are close enough to him, you read - “DENJAR - MAN AT WORK”.

Along the highway

The expansion of Sarkhej-Gandhinagar highway with a couple of lanes on each side required a fresh new road construction, and on top is a layer of bitumen which needs some time to harden up. Now so that the people do not accidentally drive over the newly laid surface and so spoil the road, the contractor has placed some brick and stone pieces randomly on it. I am not sure if this has a safety intention too. But surely this is cheaper than the incalculable length of an expensive ‘keep-out’ yellow ribbon. A work of art for sure, and thus, the unknown contractor finding his name on this (my artisans) hall of name.

Safety – why is it not there

A typical four storey apartment with a basement here in this semi-arid part of the world has to be dug nearly about twenty feet for its foundation pillars. The entire site is nowadays dug by an excavator. About ten years back it would have been larger gangs of human strength. Right now there are at least twenty men working at that depth, laying the foundation concrete or doing minor excavation works. The site is also a temporary habitat for their families too, making the total a larger number - about fifty. There are kids roaming around, about half naked. They all take their bath at night because the site is otherwise surrounded by four and five storey apartments on all its eight sides. Without any internal walls they have a big kitchen in one corner made out of neatly surfaced mud floor and kids are rolling, jumping, laughing all about. The rest of the site is a hazardous place by any simple construction standards but this is where these kids learn to handle the struggle they’ve got to face when they grow up. In the cool confines of this big ditch these few families sleep under the open skies of a free country and at day time they work or loiter within. The twisted and deformed reinforcement bars jetting out of pillars look like a work of art as they look like sculptures, each similar in character and purpose, yet different.

These migrant labourers have this job at hand, which they are free to choose because there aren’t many options. It looks like a happy place unless we impose the specifications of modern living standards in this analysis. If the site wasn’t a deep ditch like this, life here would have been different - the temporary inhabitants would have needed walls or plastic sheets. From a distance I could see the site contractor standing on the edge barting loud instructions and himself passing down long cut steel bars in the pit. There are occasional slips, and as a consequential action some large chunks of loose earth and stone fall. The solid bricks miss the worker but his head couldn’t escape a football sized clay lump finally crumbling into pieces after the contact. The guy then scrabbles his head a few times for next few minutes and is energetically back to work. Next to him, about a feet away, are reinforcement bars jetting out at his eye level. The work of art.

The labourers don’t mind this living condition because the contractor gives them the job. They try to live the best out of available, so expecting the contractor to supply helmets and toilets is probably little too much for the money he earns. Unless his employer, the builder, who is selling each flat in this building for a sum this currently resident family might earn in their lifetime, does something out of a haughty gesture or concern. Perhaps again it’s expecting a bit too much from him because he may argue he has competition right there then. I hope he will plead ignorance. Or maybe, the larger God the government, or the indifferent municipality does something to regulate – but then at what price and what do they get in return?

Certification and interaction

Thanks for your comment to the previous post Pankaj, you are my first one. Thought a reply would suit better with a fresher post... so, this. And, I like your sublime statement - “… a bundle of intelligence and ignorance at the same time…”

On certification - I realise that about six years ago, the Gujarat Government had initiated a certification programme for masons in the state - the first ever in the country. I recall, if the mason would pass the certification exam, the government reimbursed the facilitating agency or the mason himself with 2000 rupees. This amount I assume was to cover for the costs incurred in preparation for the certification exam. Obviously this amount wasn’t enough because a significant higher number of masons were failing the tests therefore dropping out of the fray. Compounding this was the fact that the certification test required the masons to be literate! One knows how badly calculated some government programmes can be. Now, I don’t hear here much of this programme, and not sure what its status is now - so maybe somebody reading this can throw a light, or I will have to drive down sometime to Gandhinagar at the employment department’s daftar to figure out. Anyhow, there is a lesson already available.

These masons’ interacting sounds like a cool idea. Sure some interaction session can be worked out. Bundelhand to Madhepura is just an overnight sleep train journey away; perhaps an exchange of ten from each side ?

My first masons session in Bihar

Location
Village – Madheli-Hariraha,
Block – Shankapur,
District – Madhepura,
State – Bihar, India

Date
2nd of April

This was a pleasant exercise after a long gap. And apologies for making it late, thought it would be worthwhile to share.

With SEEDS, my employer of yore, and now in the consultants capacity for them, I had this chance to conduct an orientation event¹ with the masons in the eastern part of Bihar state in India. This event - “building artisans experience and knowledge sharing session" was a part of the flood rehabilitation and mitigation initiative by SEEDS as a part of an umbrella group called ODRC, short for - Owner Driven Rehabilitation Collaborative – which basically is a group of rehabilitation experts working along side the GOB (Government Of Bihar).

There are some photos of the event here (on Google's slideshow).

Part 1 of 2

This place, the Koshi region of Bihar, now famous because of the perpetual flooding disasters, has mostly been untouched by modern lifestyle wants. Locals here live much more close to their traditions – and one can argue as well, 'the nature'. And the masons from here, who I am talking about and also insisting be called artisans, play a major role in building and shaping how their living environment looks.

Usually, the first image of a mason (or artisan if you agree) that would come to mind is a guy, the masculine one of the homo-sapiens who with a big spoon in his hands works with some material, often cement, to build a house or something similar. On his head he could be wearing a helmet, a cap or a turban.

We also know about migration, which means moving places in order to survive, so as to get some work to eat and the dignity to live. A major herd of these movers is of construction workers who move to the cities which in turn gives them the opportunities to work at building sites or somebody’s homes. The best of these builders, this artisan finds that from being a master decision maker earlier in his village, he is now working on instructions by a much neater dressed man, known as either an engineer or a contractor. The artisan, oh sorry, the mason doesn’t need to give much inputs, because the buildings look bigger and complicated, and after all he is being paid to do his job. He is also accompanied with an assistant, popularly known as a labourer².

So, with traditional and modernity hand in hand, the masons or artisans, working either in a village or a city, and present for this session, are classifiable into following skill groups –

1. Cement and masonry
2. Mud potters and tile producers
3. Bamboo artisans
4. Wood craftsmen
5. Steel fabricators
6. Village men turning to labour work and many expecting improved prospects in becoming a mason.


Part 2 of 2

Now, thirty of the masons attending (5 each from 6 groups above) was exactly the number I had sought, and got. Thanks to SEEDS community mobilisation method, where the names of candidates is obtained wherever it intervenes. This session was a conclusion event for the hub³ we had constructed along with the local artisans and assistance from the local populace. The construction of the hub itself had been a kind of hands-on exchange. I will try to write about this later in some other post.

But now conducting this training for a majority of artisans from the nearby villages, I realised that I am a new guy, an outsider, and not exactly a mason even! And if I think reasonably, many of them are more experienced than me. Differences between me and the audience becomes apparent because I look uptight. Also note, I am equipped with degrees from a couple of universities. I can communicate in seemingly correct Anglish which appears impressive. I also speak about something called a career, and I can exploit modern tools such as internet or newspapers or contacts to use my qualifications and experience to work in different forms and fields of civil engineering. I also do have the option of making better money or an allegedly better life to migrate. Actually, I may be the best guy to conduct these sessions.

The youngest attending was a steel fabricator, a charming boy claimed he is eighteen.

We were clear that since this was the maiden event of such a kind around, one day of session will not be adequate to hone any skills sets, or what others may argue as deliver safer construction skills sessions. We realised we need to more closely understand the local context. Thus, our work would be more effective if we utilise the day in sensitising the masons and artisans about the impact their work has, and finding a rational way forward. So this is what we tried to do - initiate a dialogue rather than any formal training, so as to pave a way forward.

In the first half of the day, it was we the session experts who mainly spoke. On topics such as basics of constructions, structures, disasters, roles of all involved, and many many. Also, urging the attendees to participate rather than only listen to our blabbers.

And, artisans in return listened in admiration which their eyes showed. I am sure there brew up loads of questions inside which were to come out later in the day.

Then there were a few confusions about the arrangements with the lunch provisioning, nevertheless the food was there. The best item we found was a local speciality called – chana kaddu ki subji (pea and pumpkin stew).

The plan in the second half was to make the attending artisans take some initiative, and for which we had a group discussion session designed. Each group was to present a small speech based on their discussions. Hesitant they were initially, eventually they came forward and spoke. As expected a lot of interesting points came out. I think, since this was their first time with something like this, I feel they will be far better equipped when the next session is conducted.

The day concluded with felicitation of the attendees – which means the participants garlanded with a gamcha; and the local government officials and guest panchayats leaders lending thanks you votes and notes, and some useful wise words.

Now packing up, the day’s light had almost faded, and a group of masons, my artisans, came to me and smilingly one of them asked-

“saab, are we going to have more sessions like these in future?”

First I tell him not to call me saab, then, I ask back, “why? do you have spare time to come for free?”

Raising his chin sideways he says, “why not, sure this was fun…and….” (sorry the author forgets flattery)

I replied, “Let’s hope.”

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Post Script

1. Masons capacity building exercises are understood to be an important component in reducing the vulnerabilities against natural hazards.

2. In appearance, there exists a feeble distinction between this mason and his helper. These days i.e. towards the end of first decade of the 21st century, this mason earns around Rs 250 for a day’s labour and his assistant, a labour around 120. They don’t run out of work usually unless the market is really bad, and if you can give them a job guarantee for a month they can give you a 50% discount on the monthly total gross.

3. Hub - A facility aiming to cater to the built environment, housing and development needs of the region. Being implemented in Bihar, at block level catering to appx. 100,000 population size.

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