Janaki (Banke), Aug 8: “In the advent of the rainy season, we were haunted by the fear of our village to be submerged. But this time, after the construction of emergency embankment along the river, we feel a sigh of relief,” said Jhindev Barma, a local resident of Narainapur.
Jhindev, aged over 60, has witnessed floods from the Rapti River wash away many human settlements. Remembering the past, he said, “The floods have panicked us several times. We have been rendered homeless during festivals, he added. “Even in the old age, I feel respite to see the emergency embankment built along the river.”
Ram Pyari Yadav from the same village also said they are assured that floods will not bring any tragic damage this year. “Every year we were worrying about the river when it was swollen. But this year, after the emergency embankment was constructed, there is no such tension,” she recounted.
According to Ram Pyari, floods predominantly affected women, children and senior citizen.
An emergency embankment has been built this year to protect the villages nearby the Rapti River from floods.
Several villages in Raptisonari and Narainapur municipalities of Banke, which were at high risk of flood, have been declared safe with the construction of the embankment.
The immediate risk has been mitigated as the River has changed its course after placing emergency embankment.
Two years ago, the flood-fed Rapti River had washed away the concrete embankment, and new structure could not be built in lack of resources, it is shared.
It pushed around a dozen nearby villages to high risk of flooding. A 400-meter long emergency embankment has been constructed in Lamahi, Dang under the ‘People’s Embankment Programme’ by using new technology and local resources to prevent and control erosion.
Project chief Dr. Narayan Suvedi said that the work was completed in a short time. He shared that after the People’s Embankment Programme devised a temporary embankment in two months.
The emergency embankment built the municipality has changed the course of the river and helped prevent soil erosion, reported locals.
