Designing and estimating an amphibious house using lightweight materials to mitigate the devastating effects of floods

Abstract

Floods are the cause of massive-scale destruction. Flooding is a natural process that cannot be restricted or prevented from happening. Everyone must be prepared to minimize the damage caused in flood-prone areas. It is challenging to live against the water, but it is possible to live with the rising water. Due to rapid population growth, there is no more free land to live away from marine areas, so people are forced to live in areas near the sea or rivers. There is a law of nature: When the time comes, nature treats humans as humans have treated it. Misunderstanding human needs leads to the destructive use of new technology. In order to fulfill the unlimited desires of human beings, an imbalance is created in the environment, causing the temperature of the earth to rise and creating a problem such as global warming. Cloudbursts are also responsible for the occurrence of floods. Over 40 million hectares of the total 329 million hectares of geographical area are at risk of flooding. Floods in India over the past three decades have not only caused significant financial losses but also affected millions of people and claimed nearly 4,000 lives. Recently, after the cloudburst in Uttarakhand and Western Orissa, the situation was so bad that some people became homeless, and others lost their lives. This paper highlights the significant financial losses and the impact of flood disasters on the people of India. This paper presents amphibious house design as a potential solution, emphasizing the need for innovative solutions to address the challenges caused by flooding. Efforts have been made to focus on the construction of a house in flood-prone regions that ensures the safety of lives and assets. An amphibious house of 10 m * 10 m for EWS/LIG/ MIG has been designed, and the estimated cost is Rs 2,11,799.