KARACHI, Feb 15: A group of 50 students from the NED University visited the work centre of Gulbahao and were shown “Chandi Ghar” on display. They were also taken around wastic blocks (blocks made from waste plastic) in the manufacturing section.

The students showed keen interest in the makeshift houses and the way the blocks were compressed through several moulds. They evinced keen interest in the technology being employed by use of plastic waste as raw material.

The students were informed that technology for the wastic blocks had been evolved over a period of five years with the involvement of several people at various stages.

At this stage, Nargis Latif, Managing Trustee of Gulbahao, opined that her organisation was actually doing what the country’s universities and scientific institutions should have done in the field of research.

The only difference was that those institutes were given enormous funds while Gulbahao had no financial sources to carry out research on a vast scale.

The students were also shown manufacturing of panels for “Chandi Ghar” with the use of waste cartons and aluminium foil by young boys. They were told that panflex panels were meant to protect the exterior of house from rain, heat and fire.

The executive director of Gulbahao informed that if virgin material had been used, a prefabricated structure of 15x15 feet would have cost Rs100,000 but thanks to waste material being used, the cost had been reduced to as low as Rs10,000 only.

He explained that innovation of panflex panels had given a new dimension to the “Chandi Ghar”. The panels, which are light and extremely convenient, can also be used as floors, ceilings and walls.

Nargis emphasised upon the need for carrying out research in waste management and described the same as a very exciting subject.—APP