A few drops of rain and Barmer, a drought-affected district in Rajasthan, rejoices.

However, in 2006, a
flash flood turned their joy into misery instead and rendered hundreds of villagers homeless in the region

The dreadful month of August received about 577 mm of rainfall in three days, 300 mm more than the annual
average rainfall of 277 mm with the water levels reaching 25 feet above ground level, say the figures that Delhi-
based non-profit organisation Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society (SEEDS) provided.
Barmer Ashray Yojna

Thus, they formed Village Development Committees (VDCs), each comprising six to ten members from a particular village
or community. Teachers, village heads and government representatives were looped in to educate the villagers about the
importance of eco-friendly houses.
While the whole village of New Kotra was relocated to another area, 65 families had to be transferred from their home
village of Jalela. As SEEDS worked in consultation with the local administration from the very beginning, it was easy for
them to get the land for relocation sanctioned by the government.

The flood-resilient houses, on a priority, were given to families belonging to marginal communities, including socially
excluded groups, households headed by widows or persons with disabilities.
Thus, they formed Village Development Committees (VDCs), each comprising six to ten members from a particular village
or community. Teachers, village heads and government representatives were looped in to educate the villagers about the
importance of eco-friendly houses.
Meanwhile, social and technical experts from the organisation studied the weather condition of the district. Since
temperatures range from 50 degrees in summer to freezing point in winter, they gave thermal regulation the utmost
priority. Their aim was to reduce or increase temperatures inside the new houses by 10 degrees, depending on the
season.
SEED used Stabilised Compressed Interlocking Earth Block (SCEB) technology to stabilise the local mud with 5
per cent cement. It was then compressed into blocks that have high structural strength and water-resistant
capability.
Insulated walls that have large pores are thick enough to provide thermal comfort inside the houses. The pores
also allow cool breeze to enter the house.
Likewise, the roofs made from eco-friendly materials like millet, bamboo and saniya (a type of
grass) allows heat to enter the house during winters and block it when the temperatures rise.
The placement of the hutments ensures sufficient ventilation, thus eliminating the need for a fan or a heater.
Explaining the science behind giving a cylindrical shape to the houses, Dr Sharma says, “During rains, water gets
accumulated at the edges of a rectangular or square structure. The circular shape lets the water flow along the
circumference of the houses.”
The opening of the door is outwards instead of inwards to ensure the residents can vacate the houses immediately in
case of any disaster.
Each house cost Rs 40,000, and a significant reason behind the low cost is the locally-available materials. Not
a single construction material was transported as the masons built them on site. This saved a lot of
transportation cost.
To save rainwater, SEEDS also built seven wells. Locally known as ‘tankahs’, each can hold up to 32,000 litres of
water. For families who did not have or could not afford power supply, SEEDS installed solar panels in the house.
After the completion of the project, SEEDS left the block-making machines in the district for other people to
construct the eco-friendly houses.
But as people had to use their own money, they preferred conventional dwellings.
The television advertisements on cement and real estate bombard people with ideas of having a house with
concrete walls, marble flooring, glass windows and sliders. The lifespan of such houses is 50 years and the ones
made from earthen materials is more than 100 years. People are not aware to realise this. A mass behaviourial
change towards houses is needed, especially in regions that are prone to disasters, says Dr Sharma.
As for durability, they have survived extreme weather conditions including incessant rains, raging dust storms
and earthquakes.