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Crafts The rich and diverse creative traditions of Crafts by Khamir Kutch live at the intersection of cultures and communities. Kutch has a rich tradition 1.Printed Textiles of sea trade from Mandvi and a global - Ajrakh Blockprint connection. A river system was shared - Batik Print between Kutch, Sindh, and Rajasthan. - Bela Printing As a border state, Kutch is constantly 2.Woven Textiles absorbing cultures from the north, west, - Camel Wool Weaving and east. Kutchi motifs can be traced to - Kutch Weaving the ancient Harappan civilization, yet the - Kala Cotton craft is developing and growing with the - Kharad Weaving innovative and entrepreneurial drive of - Mashru Weaving spirited artists. - Recycled Plastic Weaving Most of these are found in rural areas of 3. Hard Material India. there are varieties of arts and crafts - Knife Work found according to the regional and - Lacquered Wood cultural diversities. - Leather Art - Metal Bells Kutch is considered to be a heaven for - Pottery numerous handicrafts, which are carried - Wood Carving on from generation to generation. the 4. Diminishing Crafts artifacts of kutch not only moved in only - Bela Printing length and breadth of the country but also - Namda in the oversea market. the rich and diverse - Rogan Painting creative traditions of kutch live at the intersection of culture and communities. COLORS OF RESILIENCE 51

Kala Cotton - WATER EFFICIENT. Kala cotton is what is kala cotton? amongst the most water-efficient cotton Kala Cotton is old-world cotton of type in the world. it grows easily in rainfed G. its many features are short-medium conditions – even in areas with less tank 40 staple length and closed semi-open ball cm rainfall which is considered drought- type which is picked along with its calyx prone. its drought tolerance is so amazing (sepals of the flower). It is suitable for that it does not require additional watering rainfed cultivation. it is mainly grown in to complete its life cycle. Studies show that the districts of kutch (raper and bhachau approx. 1400 Lts of irrigated groundwater blocks) and Surendranagar (patdi, dasada is needed to cultivate 1kg of cotton against and Mandal blocks) in Gujarat. Kala cotton which is completely rain-fed. Why Kala Cotton? - ALMOST CARBON NEUTRAL. for the most part, Kala cotton is grown in kutch without - PURE. Varieties of Kala cotton are the use of irrigation, chemicals fertilizers, developed by pedigree and/or back cross and pesticides. Irrigation requires electrical breeding methods. In both methods, no or diesel energy to lift and supply water. inter-specific hybridization or modern manufacturing and transporting chemical genetic engineering is used. this makes fertilizer requires energy and produces Kala cotton genetically very pure. In current greenhouse gases after usage. use of conventional agriculture, the majority pesticides poisons the environment, soil of the cotton grown in India is Bt cotton, and water which is a genetically modified hybrid. 52 RED KUTCH 2022

Thus, the ecological footprint of Kala cotton is very low as compared to other cotton, and we can claim with a fair degree of certainty that Kala cotton production in kutch is amongst the most energy-efficient and carbon-neutral in the world. While irrigated cotton in Gujarat generates 0.63% of greenhouse gasses, other rain-fed hybrids in Gujarat generate 0.58%. In comparison, Kala cotton in kutch generates 0.11%. Fig 6..8 Kala cotton at khamir COLORS OF RESILIENCE 53

Khamir’s Organic Cotton Initiative Khamir is partnering with satvik to Fig 6.9 reintroduce a holistic approach to A man making yarn in cotton textile production in harmony with the ecology of kutch, by facilitat- RED KUTCH 2022 ing the linkages of a sustainable local production chain, thus providing in- come for small and marginal farmers, spinners, ginners, and weavers. Cultivating the BT hybrid cotton re- quires high inputs that carry high risks. Farmer suicides are an unfortu- nate result of small farmers’ inability to absorb high stake failures. the Kala cotton chain requires very low inputs and almost zero risk. It is accessible to small farmers while servicing other communities like the cattle feed. The cotton lint, the seeds, and the calyx, all provide the farmer with an income. Khamir’s initiative takes this step further by bringing together hand spinners, dyers and weavers to create products that celebrate the plurality and robustness of localized economies in the face of mass homogenization and environmental degradation. 54

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Plastic Weaving Recycling of waste plastic through The plastic collected from the domestic traditional craft skills is an innovative sources in urban areas provides contemporary concept promoted by employment to the waste collectors and KHAMIR, a non-profit working with rag pickers. the waste is collected from the traditional crafts of kuc=tch, Gujarat. sources like area committees, schools, and KHAMIR has conceived and promoted the the garbage traders. NGOs like shajeevan project as a possible solution to modern and Kutch Mahila Vikas Sangathan (KMVS) day problems of plastic waste by using and industirieslike Suzlon and Parle the traditional weaving and other craft play facilitation role in this process. The skills. In parallel, this also creates economic collected plastic is then transported top opportunities for marginalized weavers KHAMIR. It is then cleaned and segregated and urban waste collectors and rag pickers. as per available color and quality. The plastic bags are then cut into strips of Weaving of waste plastic is being carried different colors are given for weaving at out on pit looms as well as frame looms the homes of weavers. the woven p[lastic by making some modifications in the sheets then developed into beautiful and setting of traditional looms. Strong plastic durable products at the stitching facility of thread or cotton is used for the wrap and KHAMIR. assorted plastic waste weft (in weaving, the crosswise threads on a loom that are The project has demonstrated the passed over and under the wrap threads potential to recycle waste plastic while to make cloth). generating income for marginal groups. Currently, there are two types of plastic The hand woven colourful plastic offers weaving an aesthetic appeal to be converted 1) plastic collected from domestic places into up cycled design products. the 2) plastic collected from industrial areas designers, design students and the buyers develop new design involving other hand techniques too. The current product range includes stylish bags, pouches, folders, table mats etc. The project offers learnt by neo-weavers and persons interested in hand skills. This can become a souce of supplementary income while working at homes to low skilled weavers, home based weavers, disabled and senior citizens. 56 RED KUTCH 2022

Fig 6.10 illustration of plasitic handloom Fig 6.11 Finished product done by students at the plastic weaving workshop COLORS OF RESILIENCE 57

Bhavnaben Vanker “The sun at its fullest, the low hustle of the breeze, the occasional holler of a vendor, the chirping of bird from the tree above. The otherwise quiet morning in its splendor. I was happy with my husband at the factory and children away at school, I sat cutting vegetables for the day’s meal, my loom beside me. As I strung the last bean, I noticed a yarn a little amiss. Walking over to adjust it, I remembered my early days at work, weaving a new life for myself. Two years have flown by since. It was my husband who taught me to weave. He came from a family of weavers. They wove wool. With the loom now in my hands, I do something different. Weaving scraps of plastic, I create an array of patterns. I used to stitch. I began stitching young. My mother passed away when I was in school in the 7th grade. My father a construction worker was left alone with us three kids, two younger brothers and I. I then had to drop out of school so my brothers could get a good education. I tried studying at home, tried rejoining school. It wasn’t meant to happen. It was then that I took up stitching. That didn’t get me too far with long hours at work and less pay. Weaving through the day, I have not stopped at that. I formed a group and now teach others. The women live close by. We plan on expanding; getting two more looms to keep us going. It has become my life now. I work hard for my two children. I want to see them have the opportunity to choose what they want to do. The difficulties I have seen, would I let my children see them too?” -www.khamir.org 58 RED KUTCH 2022

Fig 6.12 a women doing plastic weaving 59 COLORS OF RESILIENCE

Pottery Pottery is one of the oldest and most widespread decorative arts of India, consisting of objects made from clay. This art type is very close to the peo- ple and workers of kutch and is used to create vessels for holding liquids or cutlery and many other containers. During the ancient times pottery was not an art but a business opportuni- ty with high margins of profits. The products were painted with colour and directly sold in the market by the makers. But in the present times pottery is an endangered art as steel products have dominated them in many fields. even though its endan- gered many people have a craze for this type of hand-crafted clay pottery products. kutch pottery is mostly seen in the dholavira region of Kutch. kutch style of pottery is winning over many hearts all over the world and the arts and crafts of kutch is well known by today. 60 RED KUTCH 2022

Fig 6.13 and 6.14 pottery at khamir COLORS OF RESILIENCE 61

fig 6.15 potter centering teracotta RED KUTCH 2022 62

Ismail Hussain “I wet my hands to mold the pot, the water cold. My wheel makes a slow spin. I look back at my days. Many moons ago, my family came into the art of pottery. My father and his and many more who had preceded. I learnt the craft, too. Rather, I picked it up. I had no training--the art just flowed, one son to the next. Of all the sons, I was the most interested in the craft. Life however was taking an unpleasant turn. There was no school for us to go to. No money for meals. No market to sell. Plastic had invaded, and the once used earthen pot in the kitchen was fast being replaced. My son chose not to take pottery any further. With plastic now, what could earthenware do? He works as a laborer, sometimes painting people’s homes, finding an odd job and a thing or two to do. I am too old for that now; I cannot change my craft. I work on my pottery, hoping to find a market. If it sells it is good. I like doing it. I carry on. It is my art. After all I am the only one left to carry it forward.” -www.khamir.org COLORS OF RESILIENCE 63

People of khamir a nu,mber of people at khamir helped us tho- rughout the whole time we spent at khamir. Fig 6.16 Fig 6.17 Mr. Satish Mr. Depesh 64 RED KUTCH 2022

Fig 6.18 Fig 6.19 Bhavnaben Mr. Ismail COLORS OF RESILIENCE 65

Ludhia-Suthar 66 RED KUTCH 2022

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Ludhia-Suthar Wood carving of Kutch is a part of a larger, confluence of cultures relat- ed throughout the Thar Desert. The Desert encompasses a complete- ly unique cultural complex, such as Sindh in Pakistan, Barmer and Jaisalmer in Rajasthan and the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat. The place has in- novative solidarity in part because of a not unusual place bodily surround- ings and in part due to the collective ethnic cloth of the place. Traditional carved timber may be discovered in all of those areas, and is related with the aid of using not unusual place layout even though every vicinity brings a completely unique taste and mind- set to their motifs. The carved designs in timber are evocative of the motifs discovered withinside the embroidery varieties of the vicinity. They also are adorned with mirrors which similarly simulates the embroideries. Raos (King) of Kutch supported crafts- manship even from a distance, and wood carving was no exception. They commissioned beautiful sculptures, such as Aina Mahal's inlaid doors. The Bhatias and Jain migrations have brought new tastes and designs to Kutch from remote parts of India. To perform woodworking in these im- ported styles, Gujarat carpenters in Gujarat and Maru carpenters in Ra- jasthan were brought to Kutch. Hindu Suthar is a complex carved wooden pillar, pillar, balcony, ceiling, pigeon hut, mainly with the support of com- munities such as Rajput, Brahmin, Bhatias, lohanas, Jain and Hindu Ban- ia. I made elaborate floral motifs, birds and animals on the doors and win- dows. 68 RED KUTCH 2022

Fig . 7.1 - a peice of wood carved by the artisnas - shot on film 69 COLORS OF RESILIENCE

BHAVNA WOODS. A family run Wood RED KUTCH 2022 carving business owned by Hirabhai. Their main focus is to preserve and pass on the valuable carving tech- niques and patterns or designs. Hirab- hai and his 3 brothers (4 families) run the workshop. One of the child of the brother also started learning the tech- niques of carpentry at the age of 16 and left his studies to get involved in the family business. Shivbhai was one of the works working on the Kungri pattern using tools like Vinjani. Some of the main tools they use for carving are Hathodi, Kaungri, Kat Kuna, Kun- gruvadvi, Charsi and many more sup- porting tools as well. “He who works with his hands is a la- bourer. He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman. He who works with his hands, his head and his heart is an artist!” – Artisan 70

Fig . 7.2 - Hira bhai the owner of the workshop 71 COLORS OF RESILIENCE

Fig. 7.3 illustration of the wood cutting machine at hira bhais workshop RED KUTCH 2022 72

Fig. 7.4 A young man making a door out of wood. Fig. 7.5 A young man making a door out of wood. Fig. 7.6 finsihed piece Fig. 7.7 finsihed piece COLORS OF RESILIENCE 73

Ajrakh RED KUTCH 2022 74

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Fig . 8.1 - Ajrakh resist work in progress 76 RED KUTCH 2022

COLORS OF RESILIENCE Ajrakh Ajrakh is a name given to a unique form of block printing style that is resist-dyed using natural dyes. Ajrakh craft products are made with natural dyes and the entire production of the products includes both vegetable dyes and mineral dyes. In the Ajrakh printing style, indigo is the key dye of the art. It is a handmade wooden block made of exquisite designs carved in the wooden block with a handle on top. dimensions of the wooden block range from 15cm x 15cm (basic, many more sizes are also used). A remarkable feature of Ajrakh printing is that on a single fabric, using the same design, resist printing is combined with other printing and dyeing techniques. The whole process is repeated on both sides of the fabric in perfect cohesion, which calls for unsurpassed skill. To identify Ajrakh style of printing or products like shawls and other fabrics one needs to observe the fabric with the background of blue or red, traditionally four colors were used RED, BLUE, INDIGO, BLACK, WHITE (resist). The specialty of Traditional Ajrakh is, it stays warm during winters whereas it stays cool during summers so it is a very versatile form of art. 77

Printing Process Step 1 (Saaj) – A solution of camel Step 7 – a solution of turmeric and dung, soda ash and castor oil is made lime is then sprayed on to the cloth in in which the cotton cloth is thorough- order to ensure sustainability of the ly washed to get rid of the starch pres- print and to enhance color dyes. ent in it. Then it is spread out and kept overnight, by the next morning, the Step 8 – the cloth is dyed in alum solu- cloth is semi dry and the process is re- tion and then washed in plain water peated 7-8 times until the cloth foams. and dried after which it is ready to use. Step 2 (Kasanu) – it is necessary to make the material such that the dye remains stuck to the cloth after print- ing the design using the wooden blocks so that the cloth is ready for dyeing.The cloth is dyed in a cold solu- tion of myrobalan. Step 3 (Khariyanu) – to get the desired pattern, the block has to be printed several times over the cloth first to create an outline. for making the out- line on the cloth, a resist of lime and gum is used to print on the material. A master craftsman traces the chosen motif onto the wooden block by carv- ing out the pattern on a teak wood or a deciduous hardwood, after the block is ready it is oiled and sanded. Step 4 – For the making of the indigo dye, an indigo vat, sagikhar, casiatora seed, natural indigo, lime and wa- ter are mixed in a clay vessel, plastic barrel or concrete vat. then the dye bath is left to ferment for a month, in rare occasions jaggery is added to aid the fermentation. when the colour of the solution turns yellowish then it is ready to be used. Step 5 – to create a single stamp or a RED KUTCH 2022 wooden block print by carving, it takes up to 7-10 days or more depending upon the type and intricacy of the design. most of the motif are based on natural things like moons, stars, birds or flowers etc. 78

Fig . 8.2 - illustration of washing process Fig 8.3 a man in the process of block priniting COLORS OF RESILIENCE 79

Fig . 8.4 - illustration of a ajrak pattern 80 RED KUTCH 2022

Fig . 8.5 - Diffrent blocks used in ajrakh COLORS OF RESILIENCE 81

Bhuj- Urban planning RED KUTCH 2022 82

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Fig . 9.1 - window in the old city of bhuj 84 RED KUTCH 2022

COLORS OF RESILIENCE Bhuj Bhuj is the most important city of kutch and it is also the headquarters of the district. The city was formed in 1510 by Rao Hamirji and later in 1549 it became the capital state by Rao Khengarji- an indian ruler from the jadeja clan of the rajputs. After the invasion of the Mughals, Bhuj was called Suleiman Nagar. Bhuj is built in a way that it is partially surrounded by hills and walls to create a defence system, the bhujia fort was built by the jadeja clan. Today bhuj is the main attraction of tourists travelling to kutch because of its connection to other parts of the country via road, train and air. Bhuj not only is an important tourist destination but is also an important city for the Indian army and Indian air force - Bhuj Rudra Mata Air Force Base. The air force base was attacked by Pakistan Sabres on 8th December 1971. For the people who have never been to Bhuj it is mainly known for its devastating earthquake of 2001 which left over 60,000 85

Migrants and slums In India, urbanisation began to accel- Setu Abhiyan erate after economic liberalisation, initiated in 1991, which gave a boost to Setu Abhiyan is an organisation that the development of the private sec- started in Bhuj after the devastat- tor, since then rapid urbanisation has ing Bhuj earthquake of 2001 to play been an integral part of India's Devel- a bridge role in coordinating relief opment. Major sectors of this growth and information. In the past years have fueled the number of migrant la- setu not only provided relief to earth- bours and the drop in income in rural quake survivors but also facilitated areas, because of this people choose local residents and help communities to migrate to major cities in search of strengthen ​d​ ecide, negotiate and more work opportunities and a better monitor the kind & the pace of devel- source of income. opment that they need and can sus- tain. according to the census board of India Setu also helps local governing bod- a person's “place of birth” is not the ies such as gram panchayat and Zilla same as the “place of the last resi- Parishad in working seamlessly and dence he/she is termed as a migrant. functioning on the principles of good local governance. Nearly 33% of the population of the city of Bhuj live in slums and there are 74 recognized slums in the city living in 6% of the city. Avg size of houses in slums before these schemes were 60-80sq and the average income is rs- 3500-6500. The goals of the hunnarshala founda- tion were and still is to create a slum- free model in Bhuj for small towns. Multiple organizations are there in Fig 9.2 setu logo bhuj that work continuously for the betterment of migrants and provid- RED KUTCH 2022 ing them to a ‘right to city’ and better living conditions. 86

Hoonashala Homes in the city Another foundation that started after Homes in the city (HIC) is a collective the earthquake of 2001 intending to initiative of civil society organisations, help people reconstruct their habitat. issue-based collectives and citizens in Today they are into earth architecture the city of Bhuj. They aim to empower creating alternatives to modern-day vulnerable communities; strengthen bricks and walls for our houses and people’s democracy through decen- helping migrants with houses and tralisation of municipal power and other forms of architectural advance- work on gender and ecological issues ments in and around Bhuj for the people who require help. Fig 9.3 hunnarshala logo Fig 9.3 hunnarshala building 87 COLORS OF RESILIENCE

Ramdevnagar These organisations -HIC,hoonarshala and The basic requirements of living were setu together planned Ramdev Nagar provided for by the government but any where migrants and other below poverty additions done to the house by the people line citizens are relocated from tents and were to be done with their own money. If other kachha houses to pakka houses someone wanted to get tiles in their house and furniture the government did not pay In 2007 government of gujarat announced for it but the people had to pay for all the a scheme to build pakka houses in this extra work. area. Before 2007 ramdevnagar was a rural area in the outskirts of the city of Bhuj. The people of hoonarshala worked with the Hoonarshala with other organisations people to get them the best arrangement engaged in the scheme to lift the city up of plots such that they were next to their and provide pakka houses and plots for friends or family members and could the members of RamdevNagar. Once the plan accordingly - if they want to get one plots were allotted the foundation helps common washroom or one staircase to people architecturally plan out their new save money and invest it somewhere else. houses which would work out in ther favour of money and good use of space. Decentralization of services like drinking water, waste-water and solid waste Hoonarshala prepared 4 different plansfor disposal has been incorporated, and space people to choose from. type 1, type 2, type for public buildings such as Anganwadi , 3 and type 5. These plans had differences livelihood creation centres, and worship like washroom placement- inside or places were provided. all the buildings outside the houses, shape of the houses - were 1 storey tall as the BhADA (Bhuj Area square or rectangle Development Authority) by-laws don’t The Government in accordance to the allow construction of more than two- scheme paid the allotment up to 6534 storied structures. square feet. The houses were planned in such a way If one wants to construct their house in an that ventilation, cost of building and waste area more than the allotted area they will management system was organizsed have to pitch in their own money and do . space for future development was so. provided. According to hunnarshala solar panels were to be used in these urban slum redevelopment projects and rainwater harvesting systems were in place. 88 RED KUTCH 2022

Fig 9.5 Ramdevnagar 89 COLORS OF RESILIENCE

Fig 9.6 Hansa ben Fig 9.7 architect Aditya Kumar RED KUTCH 2022 90

The allowance from the government was given in terms such that once the foundation of the house is done, they would receive a given sum of money for the next stage of the construction. Totally the government provided the people with 2.5-3 lakh rupees. Ramdevnagar is a tightly knit commu- Fig 9.8 KMVS logo nity and there are no major internal is- sues. There is an 11 member governing Kutch Mahila Vikas Sangathan body that constitutes 4 women and 7 (KMVS) men. most of the people living fall un- der the “OBC” category. Every person Kutch Mahila Vikas Sangathan is an here is treated equally with respect organisation found in 1989 with an irrespective of their caste or gender . objective to organise rural women and provide them equal opportunities. Hansa ben a resident of ramdevna- gar was one of the first members to “the overarching mission of KMVS is agree to make a house and constant- the total empowerment – economic, ly worked with hunnarshala in con- political and social – of rural women vincing people that this was for their through their awareness-raising, or- good and ensuring everyone in their ganisation and mobilisation into local community made good of this gov- collectives capable of independent- ernment scheme. Hansa ben is also ly addressing gender inequities and a member of the governing body of engendering a sustainable, socio-eco- ramdevnagar and also a part of kutch nomic transformation in the region.” Mahila Vikas Sangathan, Sakhi sangini. Today HIC is working with hunnarsh- ala to relocate another group of mi- grant inhabitants from the slums of the city but because of not adequate support from the government of gu- jarat, they are failing to do so. Today they are located over a lake which had been buried up with debris in front of COLORS OF RESILIENCE 91

Fig 9.9 ramdevnagar plan Fig 9.10 sample house rendering RED KUTCH 2022 92

Fig 9.11 ramdevnagar plan Fig 9.12 sample house plans all iamges from hoonsarshala COLORS OF RESILIENCE 93

Earth Architecture 94 RED KUTCH 2022

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Earth Architecture A workshop for earth architecture was Karigarshala. conducted at karigarshala by hunnar- shala for us and was hosted. An initiative was taken by the hunnar- shala foundation. Hoonarshala was founded in 2001 af- It is Karigarshala or artisan school ter the Bhuj earthquake with a goal to where we school or college dropouts help with the aftermath of the earth- aged between 16 to 18 are trained quake and help reconstruct homes. in carpentry and masonry. They are Post-earthquake reconstruction saw a trained by hunnarshala for a year and lot of implementation of earth archi- after a year they help with finding jobs tecture as it earthquake resilient. as artisans The earthquake got together a group Earth architecture is the use of natural of multi-stream professionals - artisans, materials to build houses instead of architects, engineers, and environmen- using modern materials like cement. talists who had been working for years The use of natural materials is more pre-earthquake on helping people be feasible as they work out to be cheap- sustainable. The earthquake provided ers in the long run adn provide more an opportunity for the founders -Neel- structural stability to the construction kanth Chayya, Tushar Dayal, Sandeep Virmani, and Kiran vachela to create an Remarkable structures of earth archi- organization to help support this noble tecture can be found on every conti- cause of helping people make sustain- nent and it is more common in eu- able choices and create awareness for rope and northern asia earth architecture. A few stunning buildings and mon- Because of this organization and con- uments of earth architecture around troversies that there was not as good the world are: as cement and bricks houses got the Great Mosque of Djenné revival of bhungas in kutch when sup- Hakka Houses ported with scientific and research Auroville Visitors Centre data Chapel of reconciliation Parts of great wall of china Khamir center of arts 96 RED KUTCH 2022

“Earthen architecture is one of the most original and powerful expres- sions of our ability to create a built environment with readily available resources.” - unesco COLORS OF RESILIENCE 97

Workshop on earth architecture At first soil is tested to know if the soil has the right properties to be used in the given method of building Soil testing 98 RED KUTCH 2022

SRE- stabilised rammed earth Performance – Stabilised Rammed Earth is created Rammed earth is a very durable and using natural raw materials such as strong product. It can be used for lime, chalk, soil, etc. It can be used to multi-storied load bearing structures construct walls, foundations, too.Rammed earth can achieve high It is a very old method which has been strengths and can almost be used in revived as it a sustainable alternative a similar manner to concrete. Exces- for walls and concrete sive vertical reinforcement can cause Rammed earth is durable and ex- cracks whereas horizontal reinforce- tremely easy to manufacture, but ment is not suggested for usage. requires major labouring for construc- The physical appearance of SRE de- tions of structures like exterior mould pends on the mixture of soil used. As walls the colour of mix diffres and layers are Materials used – visible. Rammed earth provides ex- Rammed earth is created by taking cellent breathability as long as there appropriate amounts of damp mixture are no finishes which restrict the flow of soil, that has the required propor- of air molecules. As the product is all tions of sand, clay, gravel, and then natural, they dare not toxic but care compressing it to create bricks or should be taken as they are not wa- complete walls in one go. terproof and may require chemical As soil is available abundantly, agents to waterproof. rammed earth is a sustainable and rammed earth has minimal to no envi- viable process. ronmental impacts but also depends The soil for SRE should have low clay on how much material is used and content and cement is added so that how is it obtained. the mixture dries up and provides a structural stability. Even though this is Merits of SRE - durable it is required to be reinforced Naturally available with bamboo wood or iron to pro- Low embodied energy vide resistance over earthquakes and High moisture mass storms. Option to be constructed airtight Looks cool Process No toxic elements A temporary wall is built of plywood or wood which acts like a mould for Demerits of SRE - the wall or finished product. This wall Requires careful watch over construc- must be tightly pressed so that it pre- tion vents from bulging or expanding from Not all soil types are appropriate any sides. Poor thermal resistance Additionally, a ‘T’ tool is used to ensure High construction quality control re- that the layers of the rammed earth quired are at a same level. Not waterproof and dust proof Rammed walls are created by first May require additional support mixing the desired soil with water Time and labour intensive process and then putting it in the mould. The mixture in the mould is rammed and compressed . multiple layers are made COLORS OF RESILIENCE 99

fig 10.1 SRE wall mould structure RED KUTCH 2022 100