Parghumti
Embankment-side Inhabitation
Overview
Embankments are built to prevent flooding, control water flow, and protect land from tides, rivers, and storm surges. This settlement is located in a depression formed by the embankment along the River Rai-Mongol. The embankments also act as roads that connect the settlement. The area is dotted with pukurs (ponds), which create pockets of where clusters of houses and their allied activities thrive. Houses in these clusters are either made of mud (kaccha ghar) or concrete (pakka ghar), depending on the materials available and the family’s means. The houses have layers of verandas, which become more open as they extend southward. The longer sides of the houses face south or southwest to allow better airflow and ventilation, helping residents stay cool.
People in the settlement rely on a mix of occupations, including fishing, farming, honey collection, raising fish (pisciculture), and poultry farming. These activities are closely tied to the land and water around them, forming the foundation of their daily lives.
The embankment built to prevent the village from flooding during high tides.
A road that runs over the embankment.
Split bamboos serve as a semi-open wall, separating the exterior from the interior and creating a semi-open space.
The embankment built to prevent the village from flooding during high tides.
Key Plan
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1. Mrida Bari
The Mridha family consists of five members. Nilima and Sanjay are the parents of Dipayan, a 14-year-old boy. They live with Sanjay's father, Janardhan, and mother, Sobita, making it a three-generation household.
The family is constructing a guest house on a 1600-square-foot plot of land they purchased for ₹4 lakhs. The land was previously inhabited by a Muslim family from Bangladesh who migrated later. A relative of the family owned the land when it was purchased. There are no legal documents for the land, but the Panchayat approved the construction.
The construction is currently halted due to a lack of funds. The estimated total cost of construction is ₹9 lakhs. To finance the construction, the family sold 2 bighas of land.
Heavy rains caused flooding in the area, with water rising to the plinth level. The flood occurred around 2:30 PM. The family evacuated using a boat and later relied on the Panchayat to pump the water out.
The family currently lives in a mud house, as concrete and brick construction is expensive. They believe a concrete structure would be more durable, but neither mud, concrete, nor brick structures hold up well in saline water.
Another structure has been built to provide tuition classes for Joyanto’s family.
The primary goal of the guest house construction is to generate income to fund Dipayan’s education.
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2. Joyento’s Ghor
Joyento’s house is in the northwestern part of the settlement, where he lives with his family of nine. The house is built around a central courtyard, which serves as the heart of daily life.
The cluster consists of six rooms. On one side, there is a row of five rooms that open onto a veranda, with steps connecting it to the courtyard. Opposite this row is a single room used for storage and as a television room. Next to it is the brindabon, a sacred space for rituals and prayer.
The courtyard is where most household activities take place. The women use the outdoor kitchen for cooking, while the courtyard is used for tasks like winnowing harvests and drying clothes. The veranda provides a shaded space for children to study or relax.
The courtyard extends towards the pukur (pond), which is essential for the family’s freshwater needs. The pukur is used for bathing, washing clothes and utensils, and raising fish and prawns. It connects the house to its natural surroundings and supports many aspects of daily life.
There are no fences surrounding Joyento’s house. Instead, fish nets are hung around the house , serving as a loose boundary. Over time, these nets have sagged in areas where people frequently pass through, creating informal pathways that connect the house to the surrounding houses, creating a sense of community.
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3. Sandhya Bari
A cluster consists of two houses belonging to Arun Miradha and Sandhya Miradha, a devoted couple who worship Govinda (Krishna). Arun was born and raised in Kalitala, while Sandhya comes from a nearby village called Gobindokathi. They have two sons who are now married and live separately with their families.
The first house in the cluster is made of Goran sticks and split bamboo embedded in mud layers, with a sloping tin roof. It has two rooms and one kitchen. The room right after the entrance door serves as an indoor kitchen space. The next room is used as storage, and another kitchen is set up outside the house.
The second house was built under the PMAY scheme. It is made of concrete, and they have expanded it by adding a tin-walled room.
The porch, located right after entering the house, is a semi-open space used for relaxation and as a multi-utility area. The concrete room is used for resting and sleeping. It also houses the Pooja Ghar and is used to store unused items. The tin-walled room serves as an additional sleeping space and storage room.
There is also a thakur ghar or temple located a short distance from the house. The toilet is placed at a distance as well.
They own a chicken coop, which generates income through the sale of chickens. Their house is situated right beside a pukur (pond), which is used for washing clothes and utensils and for bathing.
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