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00:00Himachal Pradesh is known for its natural beauty, but people from all over the world come here to see this beauty.
00:25Speaking of Himachal's hilly areas, people come here to see many houses which are still standing on their land.
00:34This house is called Kath Kuni Sheli in Himachal Pradesh.
00:38Apart from earthquake, the houses made from this Sheli also play an important role in protecting the environment.
00:44Tourists also like to stay in these houses.
00:47But now the number of houses in Kathkuni Shaili has reduced significantly.
00:50The main reason for this is that neither the people are aware of it, nor are they thinking about the environment.
00:57In this situation, Rahul Bhushan, who lives in Shimla,
01:00keeping all these things in mind, is giving new life to the houses of Kathkuni Shaili.
01:06Rahul Bhushan is working to revive the houses of Kathkuni Shaili in the old capital city of Kullu district
01:14and educating the local people as well.
01:17We have Rahul Bhushan with us.
01:19Let's ask him why he is working on the old Shaili instead of modern thoughts.
01:26Mr. Rahul Bhushan, after completing your education, you are giving new life to the houses of Kathkuni Shaili.
01:35What was your thought process and why did you choose this line?
01:40When I graduated from NIT Amirpur after studying architecture,
01:44the main thing for me was to do something like this.
01:48Because the way we make our place, develop it,
01:52our villages are developing, our cities are developing.
01:56So I thought that if I don't do this, then who else?
02:00As an architecture student, I was very interested to develop our architecture here.
02:08There was a possibility that this is definitely good for this place.
02:12If we do some research and create a system for it,
02:16then this will be very important for us in the future.
02:21All the points are checked here.
02:23It is good for the environment, it is good for the earthquake,
02:25it is made from local materials, local workers get employment.
02:29So all the potentials were ticked.
02:32So I thought that our job was to understand it well.
02:37To remove the doubts that we had,
02:41we should do research on it.
02:44And create a new system so that it can be revived.
02:50So that was the main aim.
02:53If we talk about Kathkuni Shaili,
02:55in the olden days, houses were made like this.
02:57But today, the cities and villages are changing to concrete.
03:01Why do you think people have forgotten their old style?
03:05The reason is related to our psychological level.
03:09Because when we got independence,
03:11we thought that all the old houses are raw.
03:15So we started getting cement cheaply.
03:20Industries came, the state was created.
03:22So we were also promoted that concrete houses are a good life.
03:27People used to think that old houses are made of mud.
03:33If we make new houses of cement,
03:35it will uplift their social status.
03:38So that's why people thought that concrete houses are good.
03:42We didn't think about how to improve our old houses.
03:47We just copied and pasted the new houses.
03:50There was no concrete in the mountains.
03:53It can be repaired from the city.
03:56It was such a cold area here.
03:59We didn't like the stone which keeps us warm.
04:02Such materials were good for us.
04:05I think that was the reason.
04:09It's been 50 years now.
04:13If we don't work on it, it will be very difficult for us.
04:17It's difficult to do it.
04:19We are not getting workers.
04:21We start seeing flaws in it.
04:23And the tiles and cement that are being sold,
04:28the contractor will never ask you to make concrete houses.
04:35He will show you the flaws.
04:38We have many examples like Naggar Castle, Bhimakali Temple,
04:42Kamroo Fort.
04:44We have many old temples which are still standing.
04:48We know that they were earthquake prone.
04:50They used to run on time.
04:52Their wood doesn't rust.
04:55We have many doubts in our mind.
04:59Lastly, I think it's very expensive.
05:03The houses we are making today are a little expensive.
05:07Because they have a long life.
05:09We have to look at it with value.
05:11If you look at it after 20 years,
05:15you won't need less electricity,
05:17you won't need less heating,
05:19you will have a healthier environment.
05:23If you look at it after 20 years,
05:25it's more cost effective.
05:27I don't think it's an old thing.
05:31It's a futuristic solution.
05:33When we are looking at environment friendly solutions,
05:37every industry is growing.
05:41Cars are becoming electronic.
05:43Why don't we have more environmentally friendly houses?
05:46It's futuristic.
05:48We will have the same thing in the future.
05:51It's so concrete in foreign countries
05:53that they are trying to find a way
05:55to make houses out of wood.
05:57We already have wooden techniques.
05:59We should go to the world
06:01and promote these techniques.
06:03This is a Himachal technique
06:05that can give a good technique to the world.
06:09How to make a house out of wood.
06:11We know that.
06:13We should spread it all over the world.
06:15Very proudly.
06:17If we talk about Katkhuni style,
06:19the state government is promoting eco-tourism.
06:21How can this style contribute
06:23to the development of the state?
06:27In eco-tourism,
06:29there is a trend
06:31that people are coming
06:33to see local culture,
06:35local food,
06:37local lifestyle,
06:39local village.
06:41You might have seen
06:43that in Manali and Shimla,
06:46there is a good potential
06:48for eco-tourism.
06:50You can repair
06:52the old houses
06:54that were not in use.
06:56The eco-sensitive areas
06:58like forest areas
07:00or fields
07:02should not be disturbed.
07:04You don't want to fill concrete there.
07:06Make wooden houses
07:08with your old style.
07:10In the future,
07:12if you know that you can
07:15repair the old houses
07:17with your old style,
07:19it will be a good thing.
07:21Secondly,
07:23if you make concrete houses,
07:25it destroys the eco-sensitive zone.
07:27You might have heard
07:29that if you make a concrete house
07:31on the side of a lake,
07:33the lake dries up.
07:35These are very sensitive zones.
07:37The best potential
07:39is to make
07:41old wooden houses
07:43and move them
07:45in the future.
07:47This will be
07:49a good example
07:51of our culture.
07:53People will come to Himachal
07:55for this.
07:57You won't find this
07:59in Kashmir,
08:01Assam or Arunachal.
08:03The mountains there
08:05will be different.
08:07The main base
08:09of eco-tourism
08:12is culture.
08:14If we talk about
08:16old wooden houses,
08:18how can we
08:20save them
08:22from the fire?
08:24You are right.
08:26We saw
08:28the fire in Tandi.
08:30The main reason
08:32is
08:34that people
08:36don't follow
08:38the fire safety norms.
08:40We have
08:42guidelines
08:44for fire safety.
08:46You need
08:48a sufficient tank
08:50for fire safety.
08:52It should be
08:54in the village or
08:56ward area.
08:58When you make
09:00a new house,
09:02keep a sprinkler
09:04and an exit
09:06for fire safety.
09:09Keep these
09:11things in mind.
09:13It is our fault
09:15that we don't
09:17put these things
09:19in our houses
09:21to save money.
09:23It can be put
09:25in houses of Katpuni
09:27and Lakdi Pathar.
09:29We do rain water harvesting
09:31and solar panels
09:33for eco-friendly
09:35and safety.
09:38Wooden houses
09:40don't burn.
09:42A log
09:44doesn't catch fire.
09:46We store grass
09:48in it.
09:50When it catches fire
09:52in concrete houses,
09:54it spreads
09:56the fire.
09:58The roof
10:00may collapse.
10:02You need insulation sheets
10:04for that.
10:06Second,
10:08put sprinklers in your house.
10:10Third,
10:12don't store houses
10:14on the side.
10:16It may catch fire
10:18and explode.
10:20Once it grows,
10:22it is difficult
10:24to save it.
10:26Lastly,
10:28you should have
10:30a water hose pipe
10:32and a water tank
10:35to save water.
10:37Prevention is better
10:39than crying later.
10:41It is better
10:43to have a protection measure.
10:45You should have
10:47an option.
10:49This was Rahul Bhushan
10:51who is working
10:53to save the old
10:55Katpuni style of Himalayas.
10:57I hope the state government
10:59will also focus on this style
11:01so that Himachal Pradesh
11:03can be saved.
11:05ETB Bharat.