Project

IN05 Greening Rural Housing in India through PMAY-G

At a Glance

Strategic Outcomes SO1 Reduced GHG emission, SO2 Creation of green jobs
Start Date Q1  May 1 2019
End Date q1 Dec 31 2020
Funding Source Core
Actual Budget (USD) 55,736
Budget Percentage 90%
Actual Expenditure (USD) 50,128
Status Complete
GGGI Share (USD) 55,736
Poverty and Gender Policy Markers poverty
Name of Client (Lead/Prime implementer if GGGI is part of a consortium) Rural Housing Division, Ministry of Rural Development
Participating Organization (Funding/donor)
Name of consortium members, if any USAID (MAITREE)
Thematic Area
  • Sustainable Energy
GGGI Project Code : IN05
Project Manager and Staff +

Project context, objectives and description

India has an estimated shortage of 43 million rural housing units. Some of the housing needs are being met by Government’s flagship rural housing scheme; Pradhan Mandtri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G)It aims to construct a total of 29.5 million houses by 2022. Most of the PMAY-G houses in the next three years will be in low income land-locked States of India. These States have long tropical summer months and temperature often exceeds 38 degrees Celsius. The issues around quality of electricity (availability and constant supply) also impact the quality of life in these households. 

Under PMAY-G, the beneficiary has the liberty to choose the design, typology, and materials etc. for the construction and government supports wages up to 90 days of unskilled labour. The beneficiary, in almost all cases, depends upon the local untrained masons for construction of their houses. The result is a faulty construction design without due consideration to architectural elements for light, ventilation, disaster, waste or water management coupled with selection of poor quality construction materials etc. Besides, the changing climate with frequent occurrence of extreme weather events like heat or cold wave pose additional threat to the poor household’s biggest asset: their PMAY-G house. 

Construction of quality rural houses which are both, energy efficient as well as climate and disaster resilient, is not only critical for individual households but also required for environmental sustainability. Construction sector already contributes to 22% of total annual emissions of the Indian economy. 

The project objective is to green the rural housing in India by introducing energy, material, water and waste efficiency. The strategy to achieve this overall objective is by introducing the green elements through Government’s Rural Housing Scheme i.e. PMAY-G. 

The project will be carried out in four phases: 

  1. Development of a framework for greening the PMAY-G houses 
  2. Development of housing design typologies and related mason training modules 
  3. Construction of demo houses and mason trainings 
  4. Stakeholder consultation and workshops along with development of knowledge products to popularize the designs with the intention to integrate the designs improvements into the PMAY-G guidelines and policies. 

This project is aligned with IO1. Strengthened national, sub-national and local green growth planning, financing, and institutional frameworks and IO3. Improved multi-directional knowledge sharing and learning to empower local and external agents necessary to drive green growth processes in partner governments. 

Type of services provided, and results achieved

Impact: Low cost rural housing in India adopts green building pathways. 

Outcome: N/A 

Project Outputs completed in 2019: 

i. Green Growth Policies:N/A

Policy Assignments:  

  • National guidelines for the PMAY-G scheme integrating the Framework to Green PMAY-G Houses delivered to the Ministry of Rural Development Government of India

ii. Green Investments:N/A

iii. Capacity Building and Knowledge Products: N/A 

  • Stakeholder consultation held on the Framework to Green PMAY-G Houses with Government officials, industry experts, green construction material associations, practitioners and other resource partners in partnership with USAID MAITREE 

Number of staff provided

Project Manager: Shantanu Gotmare 

Christina Cheong