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A Community Livelihood Initiative – Rebuilding the Community Hall in Mane Tsermo, Old Town Leh

To aid the work of rebuilding in Leh in the aftermath of the floods, LAMO took up the reconstruction of the Community Hall in Mane Tsermo, Old Town Leh.  This project serves as a model that combines traditional architecture with appropriate contemporary technology that is both earthquake and flood resistant.In addition this project plays the role of a community livelihood initiative for the community who lives there.

The residents of Mane Tsermo are a community of artisans who are largely local musicians and singers who use this space for their practice sessions and performances, apart from holding community meetings and celebrations such as birth and marriage ceremonies.  They also run an Anganwadi (pre-primary school) from the Community Hall.

The Community Hall was a one-storey reinforced cement concrete (RCC) structure.The building was damaged by the floods and filled with over 4 to 5 feet of mud.  The lateral pressure from the rush of water, mud and rocks left the structure cracked especially at the areas around the doors and windows, and at the corners of roof/wall junctions.Apart from structural damage to the building, the community also lost some of their musical instruments, sound system, carpets and traditional tables.  In the days following the flood, LAMO hired labour to clear the mud out of the Community Hall.

In October 2010 LAMO invited the architect, Abhijeet Lakhia of Adaptive Response Architects and Planners (ARAP), tovisit the site and assess the building.  Abhijeet Lakhia has worked previously with SEEDS in the aftermath of the earthquake in Kutch.  Discussions regarding the reconstruction of the building were held with the local community and their goba (leader).  Based on the site visit report, input from the local community and LAMO, the design for the rebuilding of the Community Hall was conceived by the architect.

In June 2011 the existing Community Hall was demolished and construction of the new one began.  LAMO was fortunate that it was able to hire the same labour that worked previously with them during the restoration and building of the LAMO Centre.  Material salvaged from the demolition – such as mud bricks, stone and steel – was kept aside for reuse in the new construction.

The foundation was laid using vertical steel reinforcement embedded within the PCC at key junctions such as corners and other openings.  A higher mix of concrete was used for the 2 -inch cover around the reinforcement, which was encased by vernacular materials.The stone masonry laid down was a random rubble masonry bond using the large stones as thru stones inserted every 3 feet and/or every 3 courses.The stone masonry was taken to the height of the plinth level, where fill saved from the demolition work was packed in to create the plinth.A reinforced cement concrete (RCC) plinth beam was created upon which the local mud brick walls were built.  The mud brick was laid in a rat-trap and a Flemish bond respectively for structural stability and insulation.Rubble from the demolition works was reused as fill between the walls, therefore decreasing the usage of new materials in building up the plinth.Finally, a traditional Ladakhi ceiling was constructed.

LAMO will use the information gathered from the process of building the Community Hall as well as work done in some other disaster areas.  In addition it will look at Ladakhi practices to provide a manual and models for rebuilding viable community spaces, sanitary and dignified public areas, and sustainable, earthquake and flood-resistant homes.

The rebuilding of the Community Hall is supported by Care Today (part of the India Today group) and relief raised through LAMO’s Appeal.