RAUTAHAT, Aug. 12: Nepal and India have launched a joint effort to find a long-term solution to the recurring floods and inundation affecting border areas from Banke to Sarlahi.
High-level technical teams from the two countries have begun field studies and are expected to submit an integrated report by February 10. The report will propose measures to address the annual flooding that submerges thousands of bighas of farmland and dozens of settlements along the border.
A joint team formed under the Nepal-India Flood and Inundation Management Joint Committee conducted a field inspection of the border areas before holding a special meeting at the Department of Water Resources and Irrigation in Jawalakhel on August 7.
The meeting decided to prepare a long-term technical report by February 10, including measures to safely and efficiently drain floodwaters accumulating on the Nepali side across the border into India.
The meeting discussed the major causes of recurring inundation in the border areas, including structural obstructions to the natural flow of rivers, border dams and embankments, and their impact on settlements and agricultural land on the Nepali side.
The report will form the basis for measures related to river management, embankment strengthening, restoration of natural water flows and construction of necessary infrastructure, officials said.
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Following the Jawalakhel meeting, a joint team of senior officials from Nepal and India conducted an intensive field inspection of the Lal Bakaiya River embankment and surrounding border areas in Ishnath Municipality-1 of Rautahat.
Rautahat Chief District Officer Dinesh Sagar Bhusal, who led the inspection team, said local residents have been suffering for years because the natural drainage of water has been obstructed in the border area. “We have consistently raised this issue during bilateral counterpart meetings. We have shown Indian security officials the actual situation and also urged the Home Ministry to pursue diplomatic initiatives through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” Bhusal said.
During the inspection, the team assessed the flow of the Lal Bakaiya River, the condition of the existing embankment, erosion risks and the potential impact of inundation during the monsoon. When the river's water level rises, weak embankments are vulnerable to breaches and intensified erosion, putting settlements in Rautahat's border areas at risk every year.
Rautahat District Police Office Superintendent of Police Sita Ram Rijal, Armed Police Force Superintendent of Police Ramhari Adhikari, local representatives and around 70 to 80 residents were present during the inspection.
Local residents and representatives urged the team to move beyond temporary repairs and patchwork measures and instead introduce a long-term, scientific and sustainable river management plan agreed upon by both countries.
Given the sensitive and technical nature of transboundary water management, senior technical officials from both countries participated in the field study.
The Indian delegation is led by JCM member Sandeep Kumar Rajan. It includes the Central Water Commission (CWC) Chief Engineer V.D. Roy, Ministry of Jal Shakti official Rajesh Kumar, CWC Director Mukesh Kumar Singh, Bihar government's Water Resources Department engineer Brijesh Mohan, Director Manusmriti, CWC engineer Dharmendra Kumar and CWC engineer R. Vikas Kumar Singh from Uttar Pradesh.
First Secretary at the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu Suman Shekhar, A.K. Sahu and Gangesh Kumar Gunjan were also part of the inspection team.
The Nepali delegation comprises senior officials from the Water and Energy Commission, Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Department of Water Resources and Irrigation.
The Nepali team includes Department of Irrigation Director General Dr Maheshwar Shrestha, Deputy Director General Dinesh Rajauria, Joint Secretary Navin Chandra Adhikari, Senior Divisional Engineer Birat Gyawali, E.G. GC, Sushma Chaudhary and DEOC's Sabina Kharbuja, among other technical experts.
Beyond temporary repairs
Flooding and inundation in the Tarai's border districts is not merely a seasonal problem requiring emergency relief or embankment repairs. It is a complex transboundary water-management issue involving diplomatic, technical and geographical considerations.
The problem has persisted for years, particularly along major rivers such as the Lal Bakaiya, Bagmati and Kamala. When water levels rise, settlements on the Nepali side are inundated, while structures built along the riverside on the Indian side can obstruct the flow and cause water to back up.
The joint technical report is therefore expected to provide a framework for maintaining natural river flows, strengthening vulnerable embankments and ensuring the smooth cross-border drainage of water.
If both governments promptly implement the recommendations of the report, it could pave the way for millions of people from Nepalgunj to Sarlahi to escape the recurring devastation caused by floods and inundation each year.
