After the damage comes the even more scary part — rehabilitation. Even as the State government looks to rebuild rain-damaged areas and lives, some individuals have come forward to contribute. Among them is K.A. Bhagyadev, a coffee planter from Chikkamagaluru.
Mr. Bhagyadev, who has been constructing low-cost and environment-friendly houses for the past 13 years, wants to share his ideas and technology with the State government to help the flood-affected in Kodagu and Kerala.
Using precast concrete elements, he and his team construct houses at affordable prices. The duration for construction, provided the precast elements are ready, is five or six days. “After the landslips and heavy floods, I am getting calls from my friends in Kodagu district enquiring about low-cost houses. If the State government needs assistance, I am ready to offer it,” he told The Hindu on Tuesday.
Mr. Bhagyadev, who holds a diploma in civil engineering, has so far built more than 500 houses spread across 22 districts, besides 30 school buildings. He gets precast concrete elements ready at his firm, Unnati Eco-friendly Technology, located at Kadabagere in Chikkamagaluru, and carries them to the customer’s place. “If the precast elements are ready, all we need is a bed of concrete on a platform ready,” he said. For the roof, either cement sheets or cement slabs could be used.
Mr. Bhagyadev, who hails from an agricultural family, returned to his village after studies and began experimenting with low-cost construction, along with agriculture. “The construction cost in this model is reduced by almost 50% compared to the conventional model where bricks and wood are used,” he said.
