Instant Shelters

This is simple technology. There are two triangular pipe frames, each side measuring eight feet, held in place by three long pipes, two clamped to the ground and the third kept in position by ropes. A cloth cover completes the shelter that looks like a tent. But it is spacious—each unit can accommodate five or six adults. "The user can’t make a mistake in installing it even if he or she wants to!" says N.K. Garg of CBRI.

"Governments and NGOs involved in relief work need not wait for calamities to strike before scurrying to find temporary shelters to house the victims. They can procure, even make, ample numbers so that they are ready to be transported in the event of disasters," says CBRI director Vinay Kumar Mathur. Besides offering protection from the sun, rain and wind, this simple tent can mean emotional support too in the immediate aftermath of losing one’s home—an instant shelter can be a temporary but comforting physical address.

CBRI will not patent the design since it is a development for societal benefits. The design can be accessed at www.cbri.org