According to DWIDP, seven VDCs of Rautahat district and one VDC in Sarlahi are at high risk from flooding as the two rivers are rapidly eroding their banks and advancing toward human settlements. [break]
The Bagmati is rapidly eroding land around Badharwa VDC in Rautahat and Rajghat VDC in Sarlahi since the past few days. Likewise, Tikuliya, Banjhara, Inaruwa, Maryadpur, Debahi and Laxmaniya VDCs in Rautahat are at high risk from flooding as the Lal Bakaiya is fast eroding its banks and approaching the villages, informed Dilip Sah, an engineer at DWIDP.
According to him, DWIDP is working on a war-footing to bring the rivers under control and prevent any untoward incidents. Every monsoon season, the two rivers have been posing a grave threat of flooding to villages in these districts.
“Our team has already constructed bamboo piling and filled it with mud bags in order to prevent erosion by the Bagmati in Badharwa VDC,” said Sah. The VDC lies six kilometers to the north of the Indian border.
“At least six spurs should be constructed at different locations in Rautahat to protect the villages from possible flooding by the Bagmati. Unfortunately, as the government has only limited resources, there is no prospect of spur construction,” said Ashok Jaiswal, chief of DWIDP.
Likewise, he said that as many as 21 spurs should be constructed in Sarlahi district to ward off the flood threat which occurs annually.
A design estimate of Rs. 20 million has already been forwarded to the Ministry of Irrigation to repair embankments on both sides of the two rivers and construct spurs along a 50 kilometer stretch from the Indian border to the East-West Highway, said Jaiswal.
A prime ministerial-level agreement between Nepal and India is necessary for spur construction in any river, he said adding that the government has already requested the Indian government for funds for spur construction along the two rivers.
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