How did Nepal's green house withstand monster flood? Owner lives to tell the tale

Prakash's 40-year-old green house stood largely intact as raging Trishuli River floodwaters swept away nearby buildings, vehicles and belongings.

"When you feel that this may be the last moment of your life, what can you think? I felt that perhaps our lives were about to end."

Those were the thoughts running through Prakash's mind as floodwaters from the Trishuli River surged around his 40-year-old green-painted house in Nepal's Nuwakot district, sweeping away vehicles, buildings and belongings around it.

The house has since become one of the most striking images from the devastating floods, with pictures and videos showing the structure standing largely intact while the powerful current destroyed much of its surroundings.

Speaking to India Today's sister concern, The Lallantop, at the spot, Prakash recalled how his family scrambled to higher floors as the water continued to rise and how the 'miracle house' withstood the monster flood.

"There were six people. I was there as well. Five members of my family were in the house," he said.

Prakash said he was at his nearby shop when he received the alert about the rising floodwaters. "I immediately ran towards the house. I went inside and called everyone, telling them to come quickly," he recalled.

But when he stepped outside, he saw that the force of the water had already overturned his vehicle. "Seeing that, I ran back inside," he said.

The family initially moved to the fourth floor, which was the top floor of the house. But even that level was eventually reached by the floodwaters, forcing them to climb further up towards the highest point of the building.

"The water came up to the fourth floor. After that, we went upstairs, to the very top floor," Prakash said.

As the flood raged below, Prakash said his thoughts turned to his family, particularly his son, who had gone to school and was not at home.

"Everyone was together, but one of my sons was not there. He had gone to school. I kept thinking about what would happen to him if something happened to us," he said.

“That thought kept running through my mind.”

‘THE HOUSE IS ABOUT 40 YEARS OLD’

The survival of the green house has triggered widespread discussion on social media, with many questioning why it remained standing when structures around it were swept away. Prakash attributed its resilience partly to the way it was constructed decades ago.

"It is an old house, around 40 years old. At that time, the quality of cement and construction materials was better," he said, adding that the house had been built with particular attention to its foundation because of its proximity to the river.

"We had also spent quite a lot on making the house strong because it was located close to the river. From the safety point of view, we had put two or three layers of road material underneath as well. So the foundation was made quite strong," he said.

The lower portion of the building, however, was badly affected. Prakash said it was being used as a warehouse for goods from his shop.

"A large amount of material was lost. Two vehicles were swept away, along with bikes and scooters. Everything was gone," he said.

RESCUED WITH A PIPE AND ROPE

The family remained trapped for roughly an hour to an hour and a half before the water level began to recede slightly. Prakash said people from the nearby toll area then came to their rescue.

"Some people from the toll area came and placed a pipe between the buildings. They used the pipe and a rope to reach us from the other side. That is how we were rescued," he said.

The dramatic rescue was possible after the family had spent the worst phase of the flooding at the highest point of the house.

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