Rautahat locals in fear as river erodes embankment

Published On: July 25, 2016 12:00 AM NPT By: Madan Thakur


RAUTAHAT, July 25: Lalbakaiya River wreaks havoc by eroding land and inundating human settlements every year in Rautahat.

Locals living in nearby areas of the river fear that the flooded River might enter their settlement and inundate their houses and other properties as Lalbakaiya River has started eroding land at Katariya and Debahi.

The river affects villages including Katahariya, Balirampur, Pipara, Pokhariya, Baluwa, Bahadurpur, Karkach, Tikuliya, Gonahi and others areas if the overflowing water sweeps away the embankment, locals said.

The river has been rapidly eroding land at Debahi and other places. Nearly a dozen of villages, including district the headquarters Rautahat, will be inundated if the erosion continues at this pace, said Prakash Shrestha, a local teacher.

The governmental has not taken any effort to control the land erosion by the river, he added. Debahi dwellers sleep in turn when the river swells.

“The river had breached the embankment last year. But it is yet to be repaired,” he said, adding that many people are scared of more possible damage.

Following the continued rainfall from last week, Area Police Office has asked local residents to stay alert. "We have asked locals to stay safe as the river has started damaging embankment," said Sub Inspector of Police Uma Shankar Gupta.

Chief District Officer (CDO) Narahari Baral said that the attention of the District Administration Office (DAO) has drawn to the increasing water level of Bagmati and Lalbakaiya rivers.

He said that the DAO has already instructed the Water Induced Disaster Prevention Office to make preparations to save people from disaster.

“All the initiatives will be taken in collaboration with the locals,” he said.


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