From leaking walls to painted rooms, a new home helped Balu’s family find a future beyond the floods. 

Balu Lokhande stands at the doorway of his new brick house, looking out at the same river that once flooded his home every monsoon. The 42-year-old painter and farm labourer lives in a small village in Khed block of Pune district in Maharashtra with his wife, Savindra and three daughters. “This river used to decide how we lived. Every time it rained, we were scared,” he says.  

“We lived in fear as the evening began. One heavy rain and the floors turned to sludge. Snakes slipped in through the gaps. My daughters would not sleep until dawn.” 

For years, Balu’s family lived in a house made of mud and scrap materials. It had no toilet, no electricity, and no solid roof. The floor stayed wet for days during the rainy season. The river, just a few feet away, would overflow and flood the farmland and their home. “Everything would get soaked- our bedding, clothes, food. We had to keep shifting things from one corner to another,” he says. 

The dangers were constant. “The house was close to the river and open land. We saw snakes often. My daughters were scared to go outside after dark,” Balu says. Without a toilet, they had to go to the fields even during heavy rain or cold winters. “We used to carry sticks and torches. It was risky.” 

Balu and his wife grow rice, bajra and jowar on their small piece of land. To earn extra income, Balu takes up contract jobs as a painter or works at the local brick kiln. “Some days I earn 200 rupees, some days 300. It depends on what work I get,” he says. With no savings and constant expenses, building a new house always felt out of reach. 

That changed when Habitat for Humanity India stepped in to support the family. With their help, Balu now has a strong, pucca house, a safe cemented structure with a roof that doesn’t leak, and walls that don’t give in to the rain. “This house has changed our life,” he says. 

The biggest relief has been safety and hygiene. “My daughters have an actual toilet now. “We don’t have to go out anymore,” Balu says. The home has proper lights and a fan. The girls, who are all in secondary school, can now study at night. “Earlier they would try to read with a lantern or candle. Now they study comfortably,” he adds. 

Komal, Balu’s youngest daughter who is in Grade 6, says, “I want to be a doctor. Now we have light and a fan, so I can study properly. It feels like this dream can come true.” 

There’s also joy in small things. For the first time, the family will bring Lord Ganesha (Ganpati) home. “We’ve never had Ganpati Bappa in the house because there was no space, no dry corner. This year, we will keep the idol inside, make Prasad (Devotional offering) on a proper gas stove and decorate the place,” he says. The kitchen, once a smoky Chulha under a tin sheet, is now a clean, tiled space with a gas connection. “My wife is so happy. She says, “Now I can finally cook without getting covered in soot!” 

Balu also wants to paint the rooms. “We saw some houses on TV with colourful walls and designs. My daughters said, ‘Baba, let’s do that too. We’ll paint one wall pink, one green. Just something... different.” 

The river still flows nearby. But now, when Balu watches it, he feels secure. “Earlier, we never knew what would happen when it rained. Now, we know this house will hold.”