PM lays foundation stone of Light House projects (LHPs) across six states

News: The Prime Minister has laid the foundation stone of Light House Projects (LHPs) at six sites across six states in the country.

Facts:

• LightHouse Projects(LHPs): These are model housing projects with houses built with shortlisted alternate technology suitable to the geo-climatic and hazard conditions of the region.
• The projects are being constructed under Global Housing Technology Challenge-India (GHTC-India) at six sites across six states namely Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Rajkot (Gujarat), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Ranchi (Jharkhand), Agartala (Tripura) and Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh).
• About 1,000 houses at each location are to be constructed in a year, using six distinct technologies from a basket of 54 such technologies shortlisted under the GHTC-India.
• Significance: These projects will demonstrate and deliver ready to live houses at an expedited pace within twelve months as compared to conventional brick and mortar construction and will be more economical, sustainable, of high quality and durability.
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Other Initiatives launched:

• Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana(PMAY-Urban) Scheme: Under this, 1.09 crore houses had been sanctioned against the demand of 1.12 crore houses, 40 lakh houses handed over to beneficiaries and 70 lakh more houses were under construction.
  • PMAY-Urban: It was launched in 2015 with the aim to provide housing for all in urban areas by year 2022.The Mission provides Central Assistance to the implementing agencies through States/Union Territories (UTs) and Central Nodal Agencies (CNAs) for providing houses to all eligible families/ beneficiaries.
• ASHA-I: Five incubation centers set up under the Affordable Sustainable Housing Accelerators-India(ASHA-I) were launched for identifying innovative materials, processes and technology for resource efficient, disaster resilient and sustainable construction.
• NAVARITIH (New, Affordable, Validated, Research Innovation Technologies for Indian Housing): It is a certificate course on innovative construction technologies.

Additional Facts:

• GHTC-India: It was launched in 2019 by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Urban (PMAY-U).
• Aim: To transform the ecosystem of the housing construction sector in India through lighthouse projects built using advanced proven technologies.
• Components: The challenge has three components:
  • Conduct of Grand Expo-cum-Conference
  • Identifying Proven Demonstrable Technologies from across the globe and
  • Promoting Potential Technologies through the establishment of Affordable Sustainable Housing Accelerators- India (ASHA-I) for incubation and accelerator support.

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