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Sep 2001
Training for a sustainable habitat
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Auroville's
Centre for Scientific Research CSR is promoting renewable energies
by hosting national conferences and giving courses on how to
realize moving towards sustainability. |
Auroville's Centre for
Scientific Research CSR was founded in 1984, with an original focus on
ferro-cement technologies: roofing channels, water tanks, doors, biogas
tanks and other products. Though the products are difficult to
transport, CSR has since 1993 been shipping yearly an average of seven
biogas plants to the Andaman Islands. Its ferro-cement products are sold
in Tamil Nadu and have been exhibited in New Delhi and used in model
houses built in Orissa and Gujurat.
Next to the sale of products, the sharing of acquired expertise and
skills has become part of CSR's activities. The aim is to promote
integral choices for a sustainable future by providing education to
professionals, voluntary organisations and students through awareness
programmes, workshops, training courses and seminars in environmental
and sustainable technologies. These trainings are executed in
collaboration with more than 22 partner organisations in India and
abroad.
"We have probably
trained more than 2,500 people over the last 10 years," says Tency
who heads CSR. "It started in 1991. The Housing and Urban
Development Corporation of India, HUDCO, asked us to give training in
ferro-cement technology to those who work for their approximately 600
building centres in India. This soon expanded. Our syllabus now includes
ferro-cement technology , earth technology, renewable energy
technologies and wastewater recycling. All these technologies are based
on field experiments in Auroville. This knowledge we disseminate in two,
three or five day courses. Those attending range from university
professors to masons, from government officials to members of private
organisations and other individuals. We have trained people from all
over India."
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