Watch: 23-YO Engineering Student Turns Sewage Pipes Into Low-Cost Homes For Needy

Perala Manasa Reddy from Telangana has created Indian versions of Hong Kong's OPods, which are low-cost homes made from old sewage pipes that have bathrooms, a kitchen, and bedrooms attached to solve housing problems among the poor.

By Urshita Pandit

June 14, 2021

Did you know that more than 1.7 million Indians are homeless, leaving them without access to clean drinking water or proper sanitation facilities? Perala Manasa Reddy, a 23-year-old engineer, witnessed this firsthand when she was pursuing her engineering from Lovely Professional University, Punjab, and decided it was time to find a solution.

“I saw many families living in temporary houses made of steel sheets and large plastic covers. Some would live in bamboo or prefabricated houses made from shipping containers. These do not provide any safety against the heat in summer, or floods during the monsoon,” says Manasa.

She began studying various low-cost housing options and came across Pod-style homes built from sewage pipes, first made in Japan and Hong Kong. In March 2021, after returning to her hometown in Telangana, she approached a manufacturer of sewage pipes and began purchasing other materials including doors and window frames, as well as bathroom and electrical fittings to convert the pipes into homes. By the end of March she was able to launch the first OPod.

While the image of living in a rusty, old sewer pipe is what may first come to mind, these OPods are not only equipped with basic necessities such as a bathroom, kitchen and bedroom but also come with a stylish lounge area.

Watch this video to know more about how Mansa has been transforming sewage pipes into dream homes.

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