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Meet the Women at TARAGram | TARAGram Project

TARAGram Project

In 1996, TARAGram was created as a pilot hand made paper unit in Orchha, Madhya Pradesh. It has evolved into an appropriate technology research and training centre. TARA stands for "Technology and Action for Rural Advancement," and is the brand name of the products of Development Alternatives. "Gram" in Hindi means village.

The primary stake holders in the Centre are the 29 neighbouring villages.

The concept behind TARAGram is to:

• serve as an appropriate technology resource centre for Bundelkhand Region
• provide a model for bringing together social, environmental, and technological knowledge to generate sustainable livelihoods in rural areas
• create sustainable livelihoods through training in enterprise based activities for building materials, handmade paper and biomass products.

The mission of TARAGram is to develop techniques and institutions that can regenerate the resource base and make it available for use in an efficient, equitable and environmentally sound manner. TARAGram is a model of how social, environmental, and technological knowledge can be brought together to generate sustainable livelihoods through decentralised production systems. Such livelihoods are needed in large numbers throughout the developing world to improve material standards while maintaining the physical resource base.

In addition to serving as a demonstration facility for livelihood technologies, TARAGram provides on the job and course based training to people from micro-enterprises that wish to set up similar plants. The handmade paper unit alone employs more than 70 people, most of whom are women.

Onsite Highlights

Some of TARAGram's onsite highlights include:

• an open air theatre
• a forum for village meetings
• a Balwadi (daycare)
• adult literacy classes for all members
• an artisans' village
• an information centre
• a research and design centre
• natural regeneration
• training dormitories are currently being built

The centre makes hand made paper and biomass products. It also promotes sustainable building design and technologies through its rural building centre, Tara Gramin Nirman Kendra (TGNK).

Building Materials and Technologies

TARAGram is committed to the delivery of sustainable building technologies leading to improved shelter and has been working on building materials suitable to this region. These technologies include:

• Concrete Block Technology
• Compressed Earth Block Technology
• Micro Concrete Roofing Tiles
• Ferrocement Roofing Technology

Centre Design

The design and materials for the building were chosen to maximise the use of local skills and building forms. The structure uses a series of arches built with hand moulded stonecrete blocks. Where the building is not exposed to water, the walls are made of compressed earth blocks. The roof is covered with Tara micro concrete roofing tiles. The roof is made of ferrocement channels. Wherever possible the building uses waste and recycled materials.

Power Generation

The centre is powered through a biomass gasifier plant. The captive power plant converts renewable biomass fuels (including mainly local agro-wastes and unusable weeds) into electricity using a highly efficient gasifier and diesel generating set. A pyrolysis unit also generates excellent charcoal from local biomass. The electricity generated supplies the needs of the entire centre.

On-Site Water Use and Recycling

TARAGram needs about 100 000 litres of fresh water per day for production. The site was designed for sustainable water management. To ensure adequate ground water recharging, a check-dam was constructed on a stream bordering the site. The reservoir created retains water throughout the year and ensures adequate charging into an open well which is the main source of water for TARAGram operations.

Within the paper manufacturing process, great care has been taken to recycle the water as much as possible. Recycling and selective grading of the water reduces the requirement for fresh water by more than half. The water exiting from the paper production process is passed through settling tanks to reduce the total dissolved solids. The treated water is then reused by the building material section. A small quantity of the treated water is also used for landscaping. The water discharged from other production processes is allowed to percolate through the gully plugs provided on site to effectively close the loop.

Future Aims

The scope of TARAGram is being continuously extended by drawing on technology development and local skills. In the longer term TARAGram aims to demonstrate the economic viability of sustainable production systems. TARAGram aspires to be an expanded version of what Gandhi envisioned as a self sustaining village society: meeting local needs with the local resource base in a decentralised manner.

For More Information

Articles regarding TARAGram from the Development Alternatives' newsletter are available online. In addition, information on purchasing TARAGram's handcrafted paper products or paper making machinery is available from:

Also:
Meet the Women at TARAGram | TARAGram Project