Bihar: Arrah resident builds floating house to beat flood threat

Buxar (Bihar) [India]: A resident of Arrah in Bihar has come up with a unique idea to build the first floating house on the banks of river Ganga in Buxar, with the objective of providing relief to people suffering from the havoc wreaked by floods every year.

A large part of Bihar is severely affected by floods every year. People migrate at the time of flood and when they return, they neither have houses to live in nor any livelihood left for survival.

Kumar Prashant, a resident of the Arrah district of Bihar, has come up with a unique solution that is aimed at mitigating the difficulty people have to face in the aftermath of the floods. He has built a house that floats on water and people can comfortably live in it with their family during the 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 4 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 build several houses in a similar manner 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 Prashant

Prashant further said that he was trying to build the house at an affordable cost.

He said, “I am building a prototype that will will have three rooms, and a bathroom and will be built at a budget of Rs 6 lakhs. In the coming one or two years my objective is to build a house that will float in water with a budget of Rs 2 lakh and will not sink. The house will also have space for farming and sheltering cattle.”

Prashant said that he got the idea to build a flood-resilient house after the massive deluge in 2019.

He said that the construction of the floating house had started in the Ghat Ganga of Kritpura and it will be ready within a month.

Cow dung, mud and straw are being used to build this house along with materials like empty drums of paint, engine oil, etc.

“Iron angles have also been used to shape the home’s journal,” he said.

Prashant said that in 2017, he traveled from India to Scotland by motorbike. During this period he visited many countries and witnessed many traditions. He made many friends while helping fishermen in distress at many places who are now cooperating in the project.