In a pioneering effort in Arrah, Bihar, Prashant Kumar, a Social Artist and Founding Director of the Centre of Resilience, has introduced India’s first climate-resilient floating house. This visionary project aims to confront the growing challenges posed by climate change and serves as an innovative response to the unpredictable weather patterns threatening food security and water scarcity.
In an exclusive conversation, Kumar underscored the urgency of adapting to a changing climate. The floating house concept offers a proactive solution, undergoing rigorous testing and displaying promising results. It maintains warmth during harsh winters and showcases resilience to floodwaters, making it an ideal housing solution for flood-prone regions like Bihar.
Unlike traditional floating houses designed primarily for tourism, this project prioritizes sustainability. Crafted from locally sourced materials such as bamboo, grass, mud, cow dung, lime, and others, the house features a water-resistant plaster capable of withstanding heavy rains. Additionally, its eco-friendly dry toilet system minimizes environmental impact, showcasing a comprehensive approach to sustainability.
The project’s journey from conceptualization during the 2020 floods to the assembly of a prototype in 2022 and the completion of the full-scale house in 2023 has been marked by meticulous planning and steady progress. Although currently situated in Arrah, plans are underway to extend this innovative housing model to other flood-prone regions, with Pune identified as a potential future site.
Beyond infrastructure development, this initiative represents a visionary approach grounded in resilience and sustainability, transcending the creation of a tourist attraction. As Kumar aptly concludes, it’s about laying the foundation for a more resilient and equitable future—one floating house at a time.
