INDIA - Survey on Health Care: NSS 52nd Round, Schedule 25, 1995 - 1996

Type of dwelling unit : A dwelling unit is a type of house in which a sample household resides.
The following are the types of dwelling units:

1. Chawl/bustee: A 'chawl/bustee' is a collection of huts (thatched house or huts) or tenements which is generally constructed of katcha or semi-pucca materials like mud, bamboo, grass, leaves, reeds, thatch, unburnt bricks etc. and is inhabited by a large number of households.

2. Independent house : An independent house is one which has a separated structure and entrance with self-contained arrangements. In other words, if the dwelling unit and the entire structure of the house are physically the same , it should be considered as an independent house. Here dwelling unit will mean living rooms, kitchen, bathroom, latrine, store-room and verandah (both open and closed).

3. Pucca structure : A pucca structure is one whose walls and roofs ( at least ) are made of pucca materials such as cement, concrete, oven burnt bricks, stone, stone blocks, cement plastered reeds, iron and other metal sheets, timber, tiles, slate, corrugated iron, asbestos cement sheets, etc.

4. Kutcha structure : A structure which has walls and roof made of non-pucca materials is regarded as a kutcha structure. Non-pucca materials include unburnt bricks, bamboo, mud, grass, leaves, reeds and/or other thatch.

5. Semi-pucca structure : A structure which cannot be classified as pucca or kutcha as per definition, is a semi-pucca structure. Such a structure will have either the walls or the roof but not both made of pucca materials.