Friday, May 15, 2015

Earthquake Proof Homes Made With Local Material

Bamboo is magic. Check out this video.

This is where the Madhesh, Bihar, UP and West Bengal could chip in in a major way.

Instead of well to do Nepalis in Kathmandu organizing #GoHomeIndianMedia campaigns, there should be an effort to rope in the Chief Ministers of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal to put together a Donate A Bamboo For Nepal campaign in their villages.

I am not aware of the ground situation in terms of land rights and all, but would it be possible to create new towns along highways where the construction can happen much faster? All the needed reconstruction might not happen in time. And moving people will also have to be thought of as an option. New towns built along the highways, Chitwan, and the Terai have to be thought of as options.




Outside help will come, but only if Nepalis roll up their sleeves to help themselves first. Using local material would be a good start. This is the best video I have come across so far on the topic.

Another one that I came across and like a lot is here. The advantage here is that you can build the foundation using local material. And for the roof part you can use all those tents and tarpaulins that have come into the country from outside. This might be the quickest way to put roof over heads before the monsoon strikes. And these roofs are lighter than most, if not all. Chinooks could fly them to the remotest parts. Just drop them and trust the locals with them. Drop them in the valleys, drop them some distance from the villages.

These roofs, and water tablets: I'd think these have got to be top priority for now.


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