On this World Bamboo Day, let’s have a peek into the life of a man who has dedicated his life for the research, implementation and creating awareness on bamboo housing in the modern India.
Mr. Rabi Mukhopadhyay, strategic inventor and mentor of bamboo constructions appointed by the Government of India is an active pillar of Forum of Scientists, Engineers and Technologists (FOSET). Mr. Mukhopadhay who turns 83 this November is successfully training people for two decades on construction of sustainable houses with bamboo. He believes that bamboo is the 21st century steel with much lesser mass. Being pro-active in the area of alternative construction techniques, he believes that our work should have positive impact on the people and the environment. Read the excerpts from the conversation our team members Ms.Ashiqua & Ms.Poulomi had with Mr. Mukhopadhay.
He believes that Bamboo is the 21st century steel with much lesser mass. His message to young engineers is to make use of your knowledge to create buildings with positive impact on the people and the environment.
He believes that Bamboo is the 21st century steel with much lesser mass. His message to young engineers is to make use of your knowledge to create buildings with positive impact on the people and the environment.
Q. You were a mechanical engineer by profession with outstanding academic performances, and started your career with a white-collar job, can you tell us did how you develop interest in the field of alternative construction techniques?
A. “Well, since my childhood I always wanted to do something for the people around me, for the society. My father influenced me a lot, he tried to shape my boyhood days by giving me books of great personalities which could periodically made me even focused and more determined. Moreover, I studied in a government college which provided me with the best quality education at the cheapest rate possible. So, for the privilege that I had received, I was planning my way to give back to the society. I studied with Governments money, that is people’s contribution hence I needed to pay back them. It was not a very quick step but a gradual process which with my wife’s consent took its flight of action from my thoughts into the world of reality.”
Q. There are many alternative materials and technology available across the globe, What inspired you to test on bamboo construction? Is there a role model?
A. “ A magazine in the name of ‘Alternative Technology’ was available back then, an article which promoted bamboo as a construction material became a source of inspiration for me to opt for alternative construction techniques. In this book an interview of Dr. Janssen was published from whom I learned a lot about bamboo. Books from the British library, Treasures of India by Botanical Survey of India made me familiar with the word Bambusa , Also CMERI library Durgapur, intermittent technology etc. contributed a lot to my knowledge in this field. Secondly Bamboo is cheap, it is affordable to the needy and easily available.
Q. What are the alternative techniques or materials you have experimented so far?
“I have used wind and flowing water for power generation. I had designed a boat floating on water for the purpose of power generation but gradually discarded it as there was no river nearby and access was difficult nor was the process very user friendly. Then I switched over to wind for the same but here the problem was the wind speed which in our country is 2 to 3 m/s2. The feasible solution to this problem was to implement a low wind electricity generator with bamboo. I started experimenting which failed as well but I learned how rectify it or how to make bamboo more efficient. Papers written by Dr. Tara Shankar Bandopadhyay(the then chairman of science department ,govt.W.B.) on the treatment of bamboo helped me to improve at it. One more thing I had my hands on as a sustainable material is clay which looked like porcelain.”
Q. Apart from Bamboo, is there any other alternative techniques or materials you have experimented so far?
A. “I have used wind and flowing water for power generation, I was a mechanical engineer keep about power generation initially. I designed a boat floating on water for the purpose of power generation but gradually discarded it, as there was no river with sufficient water nearby and access was difficult, nor was the process very user friendly. Then I switched over to wind for the same but the challenge was the wind speed, majorly in our country average wind speed is about 2 to 3 m/s2. I found the feasible solution to this problem was to implement a low wind electricity generator with bamboo. I started experimenting but it failed as well, but I could learn how to rectify it or how to make bamboo more efficient. Papers written by Dr. Tara Shankar Bandopadhyay (the then chairman of science department, Govt. of W.B.) on the treatment of bamboo helped me to improve my researches. One more thing I had my hands-on, as a sustainable material is clay”.
Q. You have over 60 years of professional experience and a smiling face, what do you think is your greatest achievement?
A. “I could educate many people about the prospects of bamboo construction, my ability to share my knowledge is the first. In Birati , there is a round house module made of adobe and bamboo. This was my first commissioned work in bamboo construction and also my greatest achievement. This structure is designed and constructed during 1998-2001 were a 7.5m dia roof structure of a Round House without any support at the centre, still operative as on date sustaining all storms since last years. The novel designs were published during end 2005 by HUDCO in a book titled “Bamboo in Construction”,
Q. Can you tell us about your education and student life in brief and early professional life?
A. I had been a student of mechanical engineering in Bengal Technical Institute presently known as Jadavpur University in the year 1959. At first I started my job in Remington typewriter factory for 6 years followed by Philips India Limited where my span was of 25 years. Later I dedicated my life to sustainable building construction with bamboo as the material.
Q. Tell us about your connections and projects in Shantiniketan ?
A. “I had some influential personalities who believed in me from Shantiniketan and could do some research and convince other people as well to switch onto alternative technology for construction. Later they met and continued the Laurie Baker style of construction.”
Q. You have published many technical papers about earthquake resilience and bamboo construction. What do you think how is your research important in the present era?
A. “Bamboo is the 21st century steel with much less weight, it is also easily available at a very cheap rate. It also has a compressive strength equivalent to a M20 grade of concrete. It is earthquake resilient and also used to make shelters in the flood prone areas. It also absorbs carbon dioxide from the environment causing carbon sinks. My research works further elaborate the benefits of using bamboo as a sustainable construction material which if opted by the new generation will be useful to the environment to a larger extent.”
Q. What is your opinion about contemporary architectural practice followed in our country?
A. “These days people don’t experiment much in our country, especially on low cost sustainable materials. In this fast lane of 21st century people have lost their creativity in the rat race. The term sustainability is the most overused and misused, I see only rectangular box buildings but not sensibly beautiful buildings for the true Indian, the common man.
Q. What was the biggest challenge in your professional practice in spreading your findings?
A. “Bamboo construction doesn’t fill the pockets much depending our technologies, so practicing people are not very interested in doing something that does not give them much profit. The syndicate people spread rumours about materials that doesn’t not give them some profit. The Government policies also don’t promote these techniques so its hard to make people believe that bamboo is a reliable construction material.”
Q. What is FOSET, its activities and your role?
A. Forum of Scientists, Engineers & Technologists (FOSET) is a national level voluntary organisation of professionals engaged in social development work through application of cost-effective technologies. FOSET with its dedicated group of about 2000 scientists and engineers works in tandem with Govt. Departments and agencies like Dept. of Science, Technology & NES – Govt. of W.B., Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources – Govt. of India, Dept. of Panchayat & Rural Development, Dept. of Technical Education and Training – Govt. of West Bengal. Dept. of Municipal Affairs & Urban Development – Govt. of W.B., Dept. of Power – Govt. of W.B., WBREDA, Govt. of West Bengal, HUDCO, CAPART, Depart of Animal Resources – Govt. of West Bengal and several Zilla Parishads and Panchayats. Being a voluntary organisation FOSET wants to extend its thinking of “Self Reliance in Science and Technology” among the ‘would be professionals’ so that they can come forward, in future, to help the society with the acquired knowledge.
Q. Can you discuss about your family and personal choices briefly?
The proverb, ”Behind very successful man there is a strong woman” holds true in my case. Without my wife I would not have been able to leave my job to pursue my passion. My son, Dr. Parthasarathi Mukhopadhyay is keen on his research of Disaster Resistant Non-engineered Construction and published about 40 research papers and helping me to adapt with contemporary ideas.
Q. What is your message to the young engineers or architects? Message to society?
A. “Our work should have positive impact on the people and the environment. Make use of your knowledge, whatever it is, use it for the needy, our country is under developed, loads of people are struggling to anticipate their basic needs. We cannot succeed individually without lifting the people around us.”