Bamboo Houses: A Sustainable Means Of Flood Control In Assam

One of the districts regularly affected by the floods in Assam is the Golaghat district. It was one of the worst affected regions in Assam during the 2017 floods. The inaccessibility of toilets in the flood-ridden zone had forced people to defecate in the open, in the same flood waters that were also being used for daily purposes including drinking, and breeding various water-borne diseases like malaria, dengue, and cholera. The streets were water-logged and none of the inhabitants could reach even the nearest health centre.

SEEDS (Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society), a non-profit organisation which drives disaster-management through their expertise in architectural design, has provided community-driven housing support to the families affected by the floods. They have built 81 bamboo houses in association with the North-East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS), that are strong and elevated enough to withstand the floods.

This is an attempt at sustainable means of flood control using the traditional knowledge of bamboo craft which has been a common source of livelihood for the village community. At the end of the day, it is not about building homes, but about building the community together.

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