New roofs for flood-hit families

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The 2018 flood that ravaged Kuttanad and many other parts of Alappuzha left many homeless. This prompted city native Sobha Viswanath to launch an NGO,‘Bhoomika’. Her efforts to build a shelter for the deprived were appreciated by many and  Godrej Group came forward to be her partner in the project. N S Abhayakumar, architect and founder of Trivandrum Runners Club (TRACS), soon collaborated with the project and their teamwork will soon give homes to 10 families. 

Bhoomika is planning to hand over the 10 houses that are currently undergoing electrical and tiling work by the end of March. According to Sobha, Bhoomika focuses on rebuilding a sustainable state and empowering women through upcycling. She, along with other volunteers, worked actively for Anbodu Trivandrum, a group that helped transport essentials to different parts of the state during the 2018 flood. 

“After the rescue, relief, and rehabilitation, it was time to rebuild. We wanted to build at least one house under Bhoomika. But, we needed funds for the same. We then conducted many fundraising initiatives like making Bhoomika dolls to conduct exhibitions,” said Sobha.The Bhoomika team received around 200 applications from the homeless people in Kuttanad and they sent a special team to survey it. 

“It was painful to see many families under a tarpaulin sheet,” added Sobha. “The selection process was impartial. We focused on economically weaker families, with more women and differently-abled people,” said Abhayakumar. The houses are being built with  a budget of Rs 4 lakh each. Eight houses are built at Haripad, one at Kovalam, and one at Eramalloor.

Abhayakumar added that the houses are specially designed to survive floods. “Most houses collapse during a  flood as the side walls cannot withstand the thrust. Ferrocement technology is used for the same,” he said. The construction work was challenging. “Working on the site was impossible. So, we rented a yard at Haripad, assembled the materials, and transported them.  The 1994 Architecture batch of College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram, helped in executing the project,” said Abhayakumar. For Sobha, it is a dream come true. “Seeing the condition of families in Kuttanad was an eye-opener. The housing project is the result of teamwork,” she said.