A 43-year-old resident of Alappuzha in Kerala has won the hearts of duck farmers of Kuttanad after he developed a simple solution to protect ducks during the rainy season that results in flood.
This self-taught innovator, who is a commerce graduate, crafted the unique floating cage for ducks using locally available materials earning praise from local farmers and support from the officers of Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) in Kayamkulam.
Stanley Baby of Edathua, who took up fish farming and duck rearing after returning from Dubai where he worked for the last 15 years, recognised the dire need for a solution to safeguard ducks which require a proper resting ground during days of floods every year. As his locality in Edathua gets flooded every year during the rainy season, he realised the need to create a durable and effective protective enclosure that could keep the ducks safe.
“I was left with no other option but improvise to protect my ducks. Every year during the rainy season, my locality gets flooded and we remain helpless when it comes to protecting the ducks. Initially, I thought of constructing a cage on poles so that it could remain high from the ground. But I changed my plan and decided to make a floating cage so that the ducks could easily get into it for resting,” Stanley told “Open Digest“.
Stanley used materials commonly found in the local area such as PVC pipes , plastic barrels and iron wire mesh to make a buoyant cage. While the PVC pipes served as the sturdy framework, providing structural support, the plastic barrels added buoyancy to ensure the cage remained afloat during floods.
“The officials of KVK helped me by giving timely suggestions. I placed the floating cage in my fish farm. I am now a relieved lot because I need not worry about the water-level,” Stanley said. In fact, the KVK has started to replicate this effective protective measure for ducks in other flood-prone areas.
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