गैँडाकोट
Gaidakot (Nawalparasi East), October 2.
A five-kilometer-long embankment recently constructed along the Narayani River has successfully protected human settlements in Gaidakot from severe inundation and erosion during a historic flood, local residents and authorities reported.
On September 27, the Narayani River recorded its highest water level in 60 years, reaching 11.93 meters according to the Devghat Hydrological Station. Despite the unprecedented scale of the surge, the reinforced embankment prevented significant damage across most wards of Gaidakot Municipality, with the exception of one settlement in Ward No. 2 located north of the Narayani Bridge where the embankment had not yet been constructed.
Manoj Pariyar, a local resident, noted that big-boulder revetment works along the riverbanks effectively absorbed the impact of the waves, preventing destructive soil erosion and structural losses. Residents in coastal areas—who previously had to evacuate during minor monsoon floods—were able to stay safely in their homes this year.
“In previous years, floodwaters reduced our fertile agricultural land to riverbeds and threatened our homes,” said Khagisara Rana, another local resident. “If the government had not built this dam, many of us would have been rendered homeless.”
According to Subhash Chapagain, Ward Chairman of Gaidakot Municipality–6, the project was executed by the Irrigation and Water Resources Management Office, Chitwan. The works encompassed approximately 1,500 meters of big-boulder pitching and nearly 5 kilometers of sloped concrete embankments raised higher than the adjacent settlement grounds.
While the elevated concrete structure successfully contained the floodwaters, Ward Chairman Chapagain highlighted that minor damage occurred along certain concrete stretches, which will require timely repairs.
— National News Agency (RSS)
