Buxar: In one of the firsts, a youth here built the first floating house on the banks of river Ganga in 2023 to provide relief to people suffering from the havoc wreaked by floods every year.
This attempt was taken after a report by the Central Water Commission surfaced, stating the water level of the Ganga to be rising at the rate of four centimetres per hour. It will continue to rise in the coming days, the report mentioned.
The idea of building this special house came to the mind of Prashant Kumar, a resident of Arrah. Frustrated and helpless at his house getting repeatedly destroyed by floods each year, he decided to build a house that would not sink.
To turn his thoughts into reality, Kumar consulted his friends living in Canada, Germany and the Netherlands. Along with their assistance, he constructed a house that could float on water in floods.
"Every year people here have to face the wrath of the floods. There is a huge population that has to migrate due to floods and they lose 3 to four months every year. I have come up with an idea to build a house that is flood-resilient as well have solar equipment to generate electricity. We can similarly build several houses so that the entire population of the village can be accommodated during the flood. This is an experiment for survival in water. I have tried to solve the problem using traditional and natural methods," said Kumar.
Materials Used In Building The House: Cow dung, mud and straw are being used to build this house along with materials like empty drums of paint, engine oil, etc. Kumar said that iron angles have been used to shape the home's journal. "The construction of the floating house had started in the Ghat Ganga of Kritpura," Kumar added.
Kumar said, "When there is a flood, it floats with the waves. This house is made of a material that is not affected by water. Also, the material used is very light so that the house can easily float on the water."
Purpose & Cost: Kumar's idea was to build a flood-resilient house that would never sink. The house also has space for farming and sheltering cattle besides providing shelter to flood-affected people. Also, the cost of building this floating house in an area spanning 900 square feet is about Rs 6 lakh.
"In 2017, I travelled from India to Scotland by motorbike. During this period I visited many countries and witnessed many traditions. I made many friends while helping fishermen in distress at many places who are now cooperating in the project," Kumar added.
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