BRIDGING HERITAGE AND URBANIZATION: As a Solution to Floods in Chiplun

Disasters have been causing uncontrollable damage since pre-historic times. But today, the frequency and the intensity of the disasters has increased and despite having advanced technology and resources, we are causing more harm than good. One of such disasters that has aggravated due to human interference with the natural balance, are the floods. In India, many regions experience seasonal floods along the coasts and river basins like Ganga, Yamuna, Narmada, Brahmaputra. The thesis focuses on one of the lesser known flooding rivers in the Konkan region of Maharashtra, the Vashishti river. Vashishti overflows every monsoon, the residents of Chiplun have learnt to co-exist with the river which is their ‘Joy and tears’ that has provided for their sustenance since ancient times. Over the last few decades, due to infrastructural projects, deforestation, neglect towards the river, and rapid urbanization due to chemical industries, the frequency and the intensity of the floods have increased. Keeping the fact in mind that ‘Floods cannot be stopped, they can only be controlled’, how can interventions bridge the disconnect created between the river and the locals as well as the gap between the rich heritage of the city and urbanization. What role can architecture play in developing a flood-proof system which, through community participation, construction methods and urban systems, can enable the residents themselves to tend to the Vashishti