World Habitat Day focuses on cities and climate

BANGALORE: On account of World Habitat Day, the International Cooperation Division of BMS Education Trust along with UN Habitat organised the World Habitat Day.The event held at the BMS Auditorium, Basavanagudi saw participants from Housing Department, Govt of Karnataka, Rajiv Gandhi Rural Housing Co-operation Limited along with Karnataka Slum Development Board.Mahadev Prasad, MD, Rajiv Gandhi Rural Housing Co-operation Limited, Dr Syed Ali Rizvi, joint commisioner, Karnataka Slum Development Board, Prof Dr Ing H R Viswanath, executive chairman, International co-operation Division, BMS Education Trust, Dr P Dayananda Pai, trustee, BMS Education Trust participated in the event.Speaking on the occasion Mahadev Prasad said “The Rajiv Gandhi Rural Housing Co-operation Limited (RGRHCL) was started in year 2000 as a State Government undertaking.Since its inception they have been able to construct 2.1 million houses for beneficiaries both at the rural and urban segment. The beneficiaries are given subsidy and provided loan facilities.This year the target of constructing 4.8 lakh houses by March 2012 is set by the department of Housing. Under the ‘Aasare’ scheme the RGRHCL has so far built 15,000 houses and has set a target of 55,000 in coming financial year” He lauded the contributions of the housing department of Govt of Karnataka as the Rajiv Gandhi Rural Housing co-operation has been awarded with ‘National e-Governance’ Award for year 2010 for its commendable contribution.The award is given annually given by the central government.Here beneficiaries get financial support through direct transfer of money into their respective bank account, which prior this was sent through Gram Panchayat and Taluk Panchayat.Prof Dr Ing H R Viswanath, reiterated that this year’s main habitat day will be held in Aguascalientes, one of the fastest growing cities, Mexico under the theme of ‘Cities & Climate Change’.The theme of Cities and Climate Change was chosen because climate change is fast becoming preeminent development challenge of the 21st century. Indeed, nobody today can really foresee the predicament in which a town or city will find itself in 10, 20 or 30 years time.In this new urban era with most of humanity now living in towns and cities, one must bear in mind that the greatest impacts of disasters resulting from climate change begin and end in cities.Presiding over the function Dr P Dayananda Pai, said, “The problem of housing can be solved, but is not happening due to lack of political will." The problems due to City & Climate change, the topic chosen by UN Habitat for year 2011 is happening due to lack of employment opportunity in rural areas.He commended that economically weaker sections can solve the problem of housing by getting low cost houses in urban areas which are both viable and economical.