Be alert

With the onset of monsoon season, the water flow in the Saptakosi River is said to have suddenly risen to 94,030 cusecs per second on Sunday. Reportedly, 13 of the 55 floodgates of the Koshi Barrage have been opened due to the increase in the water flow. Although the Water-Induced Disaster Prevention Division at Biratnagar has said that there is no immediate threat, locals living around the east embankment of the river are already panicking for fear of any impending disaster like in the past. The water flow exceeding 150,000 cusecs per second is considered dangerous for Koshi. Although the country’s largest river can withstand a water flow up to 950,000 cusecs per second, the capacity has hugely diminished with the embankments to the east bank of the river eroding every year.



Three years ago, Nepal experienced one of the worst breaches of the river, which led to massive flooding leading to huge loss of life and property. Then, the water current breached the east embankment and gushed into the settlement areas in western part of Sunsari district. The water had completely engulfed two VDCs – Haripur and Shripurjavdi. Similarly, Laukihi and Pashim Kushaha too had suffered heavily. According to government estimates, 70,000 people were directly affected by the flooding and 7,000 families were displaced. Majority of those displaced who sought shelter at the neighboring Saptari district were poor farmers and land laborers, mainly Maithili speakers. The East-West highway then remained impassable and as a result the Koshi and Mechi zones remained disconnected with the rest of the country. The flooding also extended beyond the Indian border and caused significant damage and human suffering there.



In the lack of resources and proper disaster management system in place, another calamity of the 2008 scale will be disastrous. The total population of Sunsari district is 733,919, out of which the number of children under five is 96,535 as per one data. When disaster strikes, the worst affected usually are women and children. In case of Sunsari, very young children are on the forefront of facing the threat of such a large-scale displacement. In temporary camps, children are exposed to health hazards, especially aggravated by water-borne diseases due to lack of safe drinking water and sanitation facilities.



If we are to go by what officials have been claiming, there is no immediate danger. However, we cannot afford to be callous because the stakes are too high. The embankments must be strengthened even if it requires diverting all resources there. At the same time, the government must keep close communication with India and monitor the weather and water level 24 hours. If governments on both sides remain alert, the crisis can be averted.

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