Alappuzha: Despite heavy floods in Kerala's Alappuzha, disaster-resistant houses built by Eenadu-Ramoji group held their grounds. Telangana based Ramoji group constructed 121 houses for the rehabilitation of the flood victims in the district, devastated by the two consecutive floods that badly hit Kerala in 2018 and 2019.
Ramoji group built the flood-resistant houses for families who lost their houses in 2018 floods, under the programme ‘I am for Alappey’, led by then Sub Collector V R Krishna Theja.
The houses were constructed within eight months. Ramoji group had built the flood-resistant houses keeping in minding the geographical specialities and terrain of the place. Special floating bricks were used for construction and the basement of the houses was set one-and-a-half meter above the ground level to avoid inundation in the flood-prone zone.
The keys of 121 houses were handed over to the respective families by CM Vijayan in February last year. Despite such waterlogging in the area, the houses built and handed over by the Ramoji group resisted the floodwaters during the rains this year.
Latha Shankarankutty, who had lost her house in the flood that hit the state in 2018, was among those who got a house under the programme.
Expressing gratitude for support during tough times, the woman from Nedumudi in Alappuzha, recently wrote to former Sub Collector V R Krishna Theja. Her message read, “Sir, this time my house has not been flooded. Thank you.”
Echoing the same sentiments, residents of Alappuzha said that Ramoji Group’s flood-resistant houses have helped them survive disastrous floods.
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For Alappuzha, known for its house-boat cruises and world-famous boat races, it will be very tough to survive another devastating flood. Extremely heavy rains and the flow of water from the east usually inundate most places in Alappuzha.
The Government developing a similar housing model, which can resist waterlogging, rather than hurriedly evacuating and providing relief shelters for the residents before every possible flood situation in the region, would help change the situation for the better.
