Energy efficient, Indo-Swiss designs in houses for Andhra Pradesh's poor

VIJAYAWADA: As the construction of the first phase of ‘Pedalandariki Illu’ (housing for all the poor) is expected to begin later this month, pending clearance from the Andhra Pradesh High Court, the officials are all set to make the houses energy efficient.

Principal Secretary (Housing) Ajay Jain has asked the Energy department to submit an action plan to introduce Indo-Swiss technology in the affordable housing scheme at the earliest.

The Building Energy Efficiency Project (BEEP) and the Andhra Pradesh State Energy Conservation Mission (APSECM) have designed innovative Indo-Swiss energy efficient and thermally comfortable (EETC) technology building designs for the 30 lakh houses and are likely to submit them shortly.

In a statement here on Sunday, Ajay Jain said that Secretary for Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) Durga Shanker Mishra praised the efforts of the State government to provide 30 lakh energy efficient and sustainable houses to the poor.

Andhra  Pradesh is the only state in the country to have taken up such an initiative on a massive scale and the first to implement BEEP in affordable housing scheme.

Energy Secretary Srikant Nagulapalli, who has assured full support to the Housing department, noted that the Indo-Swiss Building Project has selected AP as its partner State at the national level to implement the project initially in the country.

The Energy department officials informed that Indo-Swiss EETC designs help reduce temperature by not less than 4° to 8° inside the houses compared to the outside temperature.

It also ensures minimum 20 per cent electricity savings and safe and healthier environment in building.

The State government will be constructing about 30 lakh houses in two phases. In the first phase, houses will be built in 7,704 layouts — 428 in urban local bodies and 7,278 in urban areas.