The temporary embankment at Beni Bazaar, district headquarters of Myagdi, had suffered damages due to the flood in Kali Gandaki River resulting from a landslide triggered by earthquake.
Locals joined hands contributing voluntary labor to repair the damaged embankment under a campaign that was launched by Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FNCCI), Myagdi Chapter, on Saturday.
The locals helped collect stones from the Kali Gandaki river.
"We will continue to gather stones and boulders for some days," said Jiwan Kumar Vishwakarma, president of Mygdi FNCCI. "We are encouraged by the meaningful participation of locals."
According to him, the locals will fill the gabion net with the stones.
"The embankment of the gabion wall will save Beni Bazaar from further risk of flooding during the upcoming monsoon," he added.
So far within two days only, 35 tractors of stones and boulders have been gathered with local contribution from Dobilla area of Kali Gandaki.
There was a shortage of stones for the construction of embankment, according to Subin Shrestha, second vice-president of FNCCI, Myagdi. "So we hurried to gather the stones from the river," he said.
He informed that the embankment work will be completed before the monsoon.
"We have sought out a person from each household for the voluntary labor," he further said. "The government needs to allocate the budget for the embankment construction."
Locals are still terrorized following the 16-hour blockage of Kali Gandaki due to the landslide a few days ago. At the time, Beni Bazaar was risky for them to live in. The initiative taken by the locals along with their participation reflect on their concerns to save their locality.
All the dwellers and entrepreneurs of Beni Bazaar have joined the campaign to build the embankment with the contribution of their labor work.
Meanwhile, Hari Krishna Shrestha, President of Beni Bazaar Conservation Committee, said that the repair and maintenance works had frequently been halted in lack of stones, earlier. "However, locals' contribution has paved the way for the construction," he said.
This will be a great relief to the locals at the time of monsoon, which may inundate the settlement due to damaged embankment at Kali Gandaki, he informed.
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