KATHMANDU, July 28: Although the water flow at the Koshi barrage on Tuesday fell by 70,660 cusec in comparison to Monday, the risk still remains as it is still near the danger level. [break]
At 6 pm Tuesday evening, the water level reached 242,120 cusec, just about 8,880 cusec below the alert level. The alert point at the Koshi barrage is 250,000 cusec. On Monday the water rose to 312,780 cusec per second at 4:15 pm, the highest this year and almost double than last year.
“On Tuesday, the water level fluctuated only by 100 to 200 cusec between 4 pm and 6 pm,” Dhruba Shrestha, the chief division engineer of the Department of Water Induced Disaster Prevention (DWIDP), Biratnagar, told myrepublica.com.
Shrestha informed that 30 out of the 56 floodgates of the barrage have been opened and the red flag is still hoisted at the barrage site. Shrestha added, “If the water level rises significantly, the barrage will not be able to withstand. So we are working on high alert.”
Decreased water level can also weaken the embankment from the corners. “Although the water level has decreased, the possibility of erosion from the sides of the banks remains,” Shrestha said.
As for the floodgate No. 12, which was damaged on July 3 when the water flow in the river reached 190,546 cusec, Shrestha said that the gate will be damaged only in case of “full water discharge” which, according to him, is a rare possibility.
Although the Koshi barrage is originally designed to hold water flow up to 900,000 cusec, last year on August 18 the flooded river had dismantled the eastern embankment at Pashchim Kusaha in Sunsari. The small breach extended to about 1600 meters. Koshi changed its usual course inundating four VDCs (Haripur, Shripur, Kushaha, Laukahi) and badly affecting other four (Ghuski, Narshimha, Madhuban and Basantapur).
Meanwhile, the Indian embassy in Kathmandu claimed that the danger has not significantly risen. “The water level is still under the alert level so there is no immediate danger. But we are carrying out joint-patrolling and are in constant touch with the Koshi team on both the sides,” Tsering Sherpa, the spokesperson of the embassy told myrepublica.com.
However, news reports Monday quoted Koshi Barrage Control Section as saying that Indian technicians, who were stationed at Birpur of India, have arrived at Koshi barrage after the water flow in the river rose.
akanshya@myrepublica.com
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