Locals fear that if immediate steps are not taken, the flood could also damage the highway. [break]
Alarmed by the situation, the villagers brought the transportation on the highway to a complete halt Wednesday demanding that the local administration take initiative to avert the imminent disaster.
The flood has already displaced nine families from the Yamdi settlement. With no support from the government or any other quarters, the families have been living in temporary huts under inconvenient conditions.
“Had the concerned authority been alert about the situation earlier, much of the loss could have been prevented. But they paid no heed despite our frequent attempts to draw their attention to the matter,” said Min Bahadur Thapa, secretary of Hemja branch of Seti-Gandaki flood victim committee. “We are left with no choice but to demonstrate on the road to make ourselves heard,” he added.
Similarly, according to the secretary of Yamdi village development committee (VDC) Bharatraj Paudel, the entire settlement could collapse if steps to prevent the disaster are not taken soon. “Not just the settlement, around 50 meter of the highway is also at the high risk of erosion,” Poudel stated. He suggested that around 200 meter long and 10 meter high embankment needed to be erected without delay.
Meanwhile, Chetnath Bhattarai, chief district officer of Kaski district said that the administration is seriously concerned over the matter.
“We are duly concerned and have been doing our best to change the course of the flood. A few days ago we had tried to control the flood´s course using dozer and excavator,” he said. “But due continuously rising water level, things didn´t work as we had expected,” he added.
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