rithu gossip

How recycled roofs are transforming homes in slums

"You go into slums and villages and it is a problem-rich environment."

Hasit Ganatra saw people in the slums of Ahmedabad in Gujarat, India, and realised that their lives were blighted by the quality of their homes.

Around 65 million people across India live in slums, according to data from the 2011 census, which defines a slum as "a residential area where houses are unfit for human habitation".

"You look at the roof, it has all these holes and you ask them: what's going on? And they say we have no other option," says Mr Ganatra.

The houses are commonly made of tin or concrete, so residents can find them too hot in summer, freezing in winter, and open to the rain during monsoon season.

An engineering graduate who had returned to his home town, Mr Ganatra decided that there must be a better way to construct roofs. A sustainable and cost effective way, that would allow residents to be comfortable in their homes.

Bad conditions

It took two years and more than 300 attempts, but finally Mr Ganatra and his company, Modroof, designed modular roof panels made from waste, pulped cardboard and natural fibres that were both sturdy and waterproof.

"Worldwide experts told us to give up; they said we'd never do it," he says.

"But when you see this sort of problem [in the slums] you have to do something about it."

Modroof has an all-women sales team, many of whom were customers themselves and are keen to spread the word about how much difference a new roof can make to the quality of life for women and children who spend a lot of time at home.

Saleswoman Kushalya Shamra says it's all about giving residents a better life.

"When we go to people's houses I feel very bad that they live in such bad conditions," she says.

"We tell them this roof is easy to maintain. We can help them get loans, as many are from poor backgrounds."

The BBC's Innovators series reveals innovative solutions to major challenges across South Asia.

Learn more about BBC Innovators.

An average 250 sq ft (23 sq m) roof costs $1,000 (£760) - more expensive than a roof made from metal sheeting but cheaper than concrete slabs.

Half of Modroof's customers use microfinance loans to spread the cost, paying around $50 a month over two years.

"We have four small kids at home and the kind of roof we have becomes very hot in the heat wave," explains Sakina, who wants the Modroof team to start as soon as possible on the construction of a new roof for her home.

"It affects the children, they haven't been well for over a month."

Global crisis

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to eradicate slum dwellings. The government has a programme to build 20 million affordable homes in urban areas by 2020.

In the meantime, organisations like the Centre for Urban and Regional Excellence (Cure) are working to improve existing slum housing.

"Bad roofing is one of the critical pieces of good housing, so if you want to do good housing for people then roofing innovation is one of the elements that we need to look at closely," says Cure director Rhenu Chosla.

Many people in Ahmedabad use their roof for more than just covering their house. Sanjay Patel runs a local school and says the new roof has allowed his pupils to have more time outdoors.

"Children can go up and fly a kite or can even sleep on it. The tin roof we had before was useless and we found it dangerous to send children out on to it," he says.

Worldwide interest

"We have people from all over the world who ask us about the panels. [Poor housing] is a global crisis. In my mind, it's a global crisis," says Mr Ganatra.

The Modroof panels are designed to last 20 years and he hopes that over this period many more houses in slums across India will make use of his invention.

Australia backpacker exploitation 'endemic', study finds

One in three backpackers and a quarter of foreign students working in Australia are being paid about half the minimum wage or less, a study has said.

The study, billed as the most comprehensive of its kind, found that wage theft of temporary migrants is endemic in Australia.

Overall, conditions are worst for those employed in food services and on farms, and for workers from Asian countries.

Authorities have urged foreign workers to report cases of exploitation.

More than 4,300 workers from 107 countries were surveyed in the "Wage Theft in Australia" report, conducted by law professors at University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) and University of New South Wales (UNSW).

It found a third of backpackers were paid A$12 (£6.80, $9) per hour or less, well below the legal minimum rate of A$22.13 for casual staff.

On average, Asian workers received lower wages than people from English-speaking countries.

Survey respondents also reported other violations that could amount to criminal forced labour, the authors said.

Minister for Employment Michaelia Cash said the government had made "several important reforms" to address exploitation in the time since the survey began.

Are backpackers worried about Australia?

'Worked like a machine'

Taiwanese backpacker Amy Chang, 33, said she was not paid in her first month as a slicer at a meatworks in regional New South Wales.

She said she was then paid A$16.86 per hour - less than the minimum wage and what Australian workers at the factory received.

"And you couldn't take sick leave or say no to working overtime, you were just worked like a machine," she said.

Ms Chang said employees knew they were being mistreated, but they were reluctant to speak out.

"Everyone was so scared of losing the job or their visa. Some of the workers joined the unions in the factories, but if you wanted to report the issue, the manager would target you."

Concerning statistics

The study authors said underpayment remained rampant across all industries, but some fared particularly badly.

"For almost 40% of students and backpackers, their lowest paid job was in a cafe, restaurant or takeaway," said co-author Prof Bassina Farbenblum, from UNSW.

Those paid the worst were undertaking fruit-picking and farm jobs, where one in seven received as little as A$5 per hour, and almost a third earned A$10 per hour or less.

The authors said some conditions could constitute forced labour:

91 workers reported having their passport confiscated by an employer
173 workers had to pay an upfront "deposit" to secure a job
112 workers were asked to pay cash back to their employers after receiving wages.

Half of overseas workers reported either never or rarely ever receiving a pay slip, while almost half said they were paid in cash.

Myth dispelled

The report also found that a majority of workers knew they were being underpaid, but many did not expect to receive the legal minimum.

This contradicted a popular assumption that foreign workers were unaware of the minimum wage, the authors said.

The government urged workers with concerns to contact Australia's Fair Work Ombudsman.

"It is critical that all employers obey the law and pay the appropriate wage, regardless of the background or those employees," Ms Cash said in a statement.

Since December last year, the government had given the ombudsman greater resources and passed legislation designed to assist vulnerable workers, Ms Cash said.

The Fair Work Ombudsman urged temporary migrants, who make 11% of Australia's workforce, to look up their rights online.

Zimbabwe latest: Ruling Zanu-PF urges Mugabe to step down

Regional branches of Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF party have joined growing calls for President Robert Mugabe to resign.

The move comes ahead of a protest march to be held in the capital Harare on Saturday, fully supported by the country's military which staged a takeover on Wednesday.

War veterans until recently loyal to the 93-year-old president and liberal groups have also urged him to quit.

Earlier Mr Mugabe made his first public appearance since the takeover.

Mr Mugabe had been under house arrest for days, but attended a graduation ceremony on Friday, handing out degrees.

The army made its move after a power struggle over his successor. Mr Mugabe sacked Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa last week, apparently to pave the way for his wife Grace Mugabe - who is four decades younger than him - to take over the presidency instead.

The military said it was "engaging" with Mr Mugabe and would advise the public on the outcome of talks "as soon as possible".

Who is saying Mr Mugabe should quit?

At least eight out of 10 regional party branches voted on Friday evening for Mr Mugabe to resign as president and party secretary.

In an unprecedented broadcast, several regional leaders appeared on state TV saying that he should quit.

They also called for Grace Mugabe to resign from the party, and for Mr Mnangagwa to be reinstated in the party's central committee.

The party's members agreed to mobilise support for and attend Saturday's rally. The party is planning to hold a special central committee session over the weekend to discuss the crisis.

Meanwhile in a statement issued on Friday evening, the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) said it had been approached by organisers of the rally, which it described as a "solidarity march".

The statement went on: "ZDF is therefore advising the nation that for as long as the planned march remains orderly, peaceful... and without hate speech and incitement to cause violence, it fully supports the march."

Earlier Christopher Mutsvangwa - the leader of the influential war veterans' association, once loyal to Mr Mugabe - called for a huge turnout at the rally.

"We want to restore our pride and tomorrow is the day... we can finish the job which the army started," he said.

"There's no going back about Mugabe. He must leave."

Liberal groups opposed to the president have also backed the protest.

The leader of last year's #Thisflag protests, Evans Mwarire, urged people to turn up.

What happened when Mr Mugabe appeared in public?

Mr Mugabe's attendance at the graduation is an annual tradition but he was not expected this year.

BBC Online Africa editor Joseph Winter says the president was allowed to be there partly to keep up the pretence that the military have not staged a coup and partly because of a genuine, deeply felt respect for him going back more than 40 years.

The military was only targeting what he called "criminals" around the president, he said, denying that there had been a coup.

On Thursday Mr Mugabe was pictured smiling as he took part in talks with an army general and South African government ministers at State House but sources suggested he might be resisting pressure to resign.

What has the reaction been across the world?

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urged a quick return to civilian rule, but also said the crisis was an opportunity for Zimbabwe to set itself on a new path
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Beijing was hoping for stability and a peaceful "appropriate" resolution
UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson warned against a transition from "one unelected tyrant" to another
Botswana's President Ian Khama said regional leaders did not support Mr Mugabe staying in power
Alpha Conde, the chairman of the African Union, a key regional bloc, said the takeover "seems like a coup" and demanded a return to constitutional order

Uneasy calm in Mugabe's village

By Stanley Kwenda, BBC News, Kutama

To get to President Mugabe's rural home you drive along the Robert Mugabe highway. It's probably one of the best maintained roads in Zimbabwe, like driving on a carpet. Along the way you are greeted by a plaque erected in his honour.

Kutama is a small and tightly connected village where everyone knows each other.

You can't really tell if they've been rattled by the current political crisis. As we arrived there was an air of uncertainty. Mr Mugabe is respected here - to many he's a father and a friend. A 65-year-old neighbour of his told me: "He's kind, he's a good man and he understands people's plight."

The man goes to St Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church with Mr Mugabe, a devout Christian, whenever he visits. "He never demands special treatment. He visits people to check on their welfare," said the man at his compound.

He said he supports the move by the army saying it's meant to correct a broken system. "If his term goes out then there's nothing wrong," he said.

UK and Canada lead global alliance against coal

The UK and Canada have launched a global alliance of 20 countries committed to phasing out coal for energy production.

Members including France, Finland and Mexico, say they will end the use of coal before 2030. Ministers hope to have 50 countries signed up by the time of the next major UN conference in Poland next year.

However some important coal consuming nations, including China, the US and Germany have not joined the group. Reducing global coal use is a formidable challenge, as the fuel produces around 40% of the world's electricity at present.

As a highly carbon intensive source, coal contributes significantly to the rising levels of CO2 emissions that scientists reported earlier this week. Researchers say that if the world is to curb dramatic temperature rises this century then coal use must be limited.

Called the Powering Past Coal Alliance, this new initiative sees countries, regions and provinces, signing up to setting coal phase-out targets and committing to no new investments in coal-fired electricity in their national jurisdictions or abroad.

No sacrifice

The UK has said it will end the generation of electricity from unabated coal by 2025. Unabated means that the coal is burnt without capturing the resulting carbon emissions.

Already, the move away from coal in the UK has been rapid. Around 40% of electricity was still being generated from coal in 2012 but in April this year the UK had its first full day without coal power in 135 years.

"We have not sacrificed growth," said Claire Perry, the UK's minister for climate change and industry.

"Since 1990 Britain has cut its emissions buy 42% and our economy has grown by 67%, that's the best performance in the G7 so this is not something that's a win-lose, it's a win-win situation."

However many of those who have signed up to the alliance have little or no coal production or consumption, among them Fiji, Niue, and Costa Rica. Many of the richer countries involved have already announced their move away from coal and taken together the grouping only represents about 2.5% of global coal consumption.

There are also some significant coal consuming countries including Germany and China, absent from the list at present.

The anti-coal alliance are confident that by the time of the next major UN climate conference in Poland in 2018, there will be closer to 50 countries on board.

The development has been broadly welcomed by environmental groups.

"This is another positive signal of the global momentum away from coal, benefitting the health of the climate, the public and the economy," said Jens Mattias Clausen from Greenpeace.

"But it also puts on notice the governments who lag behind on ending coal or those who promote it that the world's dirtiest fossil fuel has no future."

Closest of allies

Those involved in the coal industry say the alliance needs to put more efforts into developing technology that will allow coal use to continue.

"With the world set to use fossil fuels, including coal, for the foreseeable future, Canada and the UK should direct efforts to advancing carbon capture and storage technology because that's much more likely to achieve global climate objectives than unrealistic calls to eliminate coal in major emerging economies," said Benjamin Sporton, chief executive of the World Coal Association.

With Canada and the UK leading the group, it means that two of the closest allies of the US are moving away from coal at a time when President Trump is talking about a revival for the fuel.

The White House has had a presence at this meeting with the President's special adviser on climate change, George David Banks telling reporters that coal and other fossil fuels were an important part of the solution to climate change.

Mr Banks believes that a so-called "clean coal alliance" involving the US, Japan and others would be something the Trump team would favour. "I would say that the administration is interested in the idea," he told reporters.

"I'm guessing that would mean a clean coal alliance that would focus on highly efficient low emission coal plants and carbon capture utilisation and storage. I think there would be interest in exploring that."

Many environmental campaigners though, believe that attempts to produce clean coal are essentially efforts to prolong the dominance of the fossil fuel industry.

"People were worried that this summit would see Trump assaulting the Paris Agreement with his coal lobbyists," said Mohamed Adow from Christian Aid. "But his actions have actually galvanised other nations into action, with a new alliance making it clear that coal's climate change threat must be taken seriously.

"The bottom line is coal is a dirty, unnecessary, polluting fuel that deserves to remain in a more ignorant and backward era. These countries are showing they understand that."

By Matt McGrath
Environment correspondent, Bonn

North Korean defector found to have 'enormous parasites'

By Andreas Illmer
BBC News

A North Korean soldier who was shot while fleeing across the border has an extremely high level of parasites in his intestines, his doctors say.

The defector crossed the demilitarised zone on Monday, but was shot several times by North Korean border guards.

Doctors say the patient is stable - but "an enormous number" of worms in his body are contaminating his wounds and making his situation worse.

His condition is thought to give a rare insight into life in North Korea.

"I've never seen anything like this in my 20 years as a physician," South Korean doctor Lee Cook-jong told journalists, explaining that the longest worm removed from the patient's intestines was 27cm (11in) long.

How do you get a parasite?

Humans can get parasites through eating contaminated food, by being bitten by an insect or by the parasite entering through the skin. In the case of the North Korean defector, the first case is most likely. Parasites which enter the body via contaminated food are often worms.

The North still uses human faeces as fertilisers. If these faeces are untreated and fertilise vegetables that are later eaten uncooked, the parasites get into the mouth and the intestines of the person.

While some don't cause any severe symptoms, others can be life-threatening, explains Prof Peter Preiser from the School of Biological Sciences at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

"What they all do is take nutrients away from your body," he told the BBC. "So [even] if most of them might go unnoticed, they all indicate a poor health status. To put it simply: people who have parasites are not healthy."

What does it tell us about N Korea's standards of health?

"North Korea is a very poor country and like any other poor country it has serious health problems," Prof Andrei Lankov of Kookmin University in Seoul told the BBC.

In 2015 South Korean researchers studied the health records of North Korean defectors who had visited a hospital in Cheonan between 2006 and 2014.They found that they showed higher rates of chronic hepatitis B, chronic hepatitis C, tuberculosis and parasite infections, compared to South Koreans.

"I don't know what is happening in North Korea, but I found many parasites when examining other defectors," Professor Seong Min of Dankook University Medical School was quoted by the Korea Biomedical Review as saying.

But Prof Lankov points out that compared with other countries with a similar per capita income - like Bangladesh or many African countries - the population in North Korea is healthier than one would expect. The country's life expectancy is well above average considering the level of economic poverty, he says.

"North Korea does not have the resources to have a modern medical system," he says. "Its doctors are relatively poorly trained and have to work with primitive equipment."

Are the parasites endangering the soldier?

Yes. Considering that he is already in a critical condition, they are making a bad situation much worse. The soldier was shot at least six times when North Korean border guards opened fire on him as he ran across the Joint Security Area in Panmunjom to the South Korean side.

The young soldier was rushed by helicopter to a hospital in South Korea and has undergone emergency surgery.Doctors say there is a severe contamination of the wounds by both parasites and faeces.

"We are paying close attention to prevent possible complications," surgeon Lee Cook-jong told reporters, explaining that "an enormous number of parasites" including roundworms had been found in the small intestine.

If the intestines are disrupted and parasites are released into the body cavity, they can be a lot more dangerous and much more complicated to treat. Also, he is likely to have had the parasites for a long time. This means "that patient will generally be in a weaker state so any wounds and surgery will become more dangerous," explains Prof Preiser.

Is this a problem particular to North Korea?

Parasites, especially worms, are thought to be widespread in North Korea. However, they also affect many developing countries where diets include uncooked vegetables fertilised with faeces.

There are ways to treat faeces so they can be used as a safe fertiliser, but many poor countries neglect to do so. Prof Lankov says this seems to be the case in North Korea.The poor health and nutrition has widespread consequences "but North Korea does not admit this because they fear this will affect their image too much".Should there ever be a reunification of the two Koreas though, there would be massive health problems for officials to deal with for decades to come, Prof Lankov warns.