Page 116 - Volt Elevate The World Around Us Book 4

Housing

In olden times, people built very simple houses with a lot of green space in and around
them. Now, we find many different types of houses all over our country. They protect us
from the outside environment and give us a place to take shelter at night.

India is a huge country with different types of climate in its different parts. Many types

of houses are built in various parts of India according to the climate of the place. People
make them using the locally available materials for construction. The houses in rural
areas are different from the houses in urban areas.

Houses in Rural Areas

A large majority of people in India live in villages. Most
houses in villages are made of things like mud, straw and
dried leaves. They have mud or brick walls with thatched

roofs. These types of houses are called huts. Normally, a hut
is temporary and not very strong. It is also known as a kutcha
house. It usually has one room. Most villagers use mud and
cow dung to coat the walls of their huts. hut in a village

However, life in villages is changing. Many people there

have modern means of transport and communication.
Some people use the same materials for construction of
houses as in cities. The houses built there are also similar
to the ones found in cities. We can even find big and strong
houses called havelis in villages. They are made of baked

haveli in a village bricks, stones and cement.

Pause and Reflect

Why are kutcha houses not suitable for cities with heavy rainfall?
Analyse

Houses in Urban Areas

Houses in urban areas are stronger and more durable than
the houses in rural areas. They are made of baked bricks,

iron, cement, wood, concrete and asbestos. The floors are
made of materials like tiles and marbles, and walls are made
of bricks plastered with a mixture of cement and sand. They

are called pukka houses. house in a city

Asbestos: A soft grey mineral that is used especially in building houses

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