Inspecting the bridge – it’s still doing well, but needs a proper inspection and repairs in order to withstand the monsoon onslaught for the next few years. The nala makes a sharp turn and hits our land at one point. Every year, soil is washed away and we retreat backwards. We build a new portionContinue reading “Preparation for the floods 3.0”
Category Archives: infrastructure
Crinkle-crankle walls
Along the riverside, we have a low (3-4 ft) wall with a four foot wire netting. For the most part, it feels secure, though we are planning to raise the netting in a few places where it has been breached by nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus – Asian antelope; very common in these parts). During the floods,Continue reading “Crinkle-crankle walls”
In the lull
This month’s work: clearing grass, growing wheat, and putting up a fence towards the river.
Coming out the other side
The floods have receded, leaving us to survey the damage. There is less than we feared. The water entered the land through a few main points. We think we can close most of them up so that much of the land isn’t affected next time. The one part of the land which is very lowContinue reading “Coming out the other side”
Today
This was in the morning. It rose another few feet by evening, and no one could reach the bridge to take pictures any more.
Floods!
Well, we made a mistake not to make our bridge even higher. Our carpenter had planned it for about five feet higher than it is, and that seemed outrageously high to us. But, today, the nala has risen above it. If you stand on the bridge, you are knee-deep in water, and it is stillContinue reading “Floods!”
The Worship of the Nala
The past days of rain have turned the nala into a gushing stream. There is even a ‘waterfall’ near our building, so that we hear the sound of rushing water all day and night. Here’s a post from Prof. Nita Kumar’s blog about the inauguration of our bridge – a controversial affair! “The nala, that is,Continue reading “The Worship of the Nala”
Bridge complete!
Bamboo, bridges, and snakes
It’s been a couple of weeks since our last update, because of some unexpected events. But we are back. We’ve had over ten days of sunshine, which meant extremely hot, humid, unpleasant weather, but also that we have been busy. First of all, we decided that we need to get across the nala, rain orContinue reading “Bamboo, bridges, and snakes”
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