पक्की तटबन्ध
Ranjha (Banke), October 3
The construction of a concrete embankment on the Rapti River in Banke has rendered the surrounding coastal settlements increasingly secure. With the river control project initiated by the Irrigation and Water Resources Management Project, years of fear and uncertainty surrounding inundation and erosion in riverside communities are gradually turning into hope and confidence.
According to Nischal Chhatkuli, Project Chief at the Irrigation and Water Resources Management Project Office in Lamahi, Dang, the completion of over three kilometers of concrete embankment in Rapti Sonari, Narainapur, and Duduwa Rural Municipalities—areas at direct risk of severe river erosion and flooding—has protected hundreds of bighas of arable land and secured the homes of thousands of local residents.
He stated that in the last fiscal year alone, 3,150 meters of permanent concrete embankment and 400 meters of temporary embankment were constructed across various high-risk locations in Banke. The project prioritized these structures to halt the recurring cycle of heavy river currents turning fertile land into desert and displacing entire settlements.
During the last fiscal year, the project built 1,200 meters of concrete embankment in Kachnapur (Ward No. 2) and 1,300 meters in Binauna (Ward No. 5) of Rapti Sonari. Additionally, 500 meters were constructed in Khalla Jhagadiya (Ward No. 7) and 150 meters in Dhalaiya (Ward No. 6) of Rapti Sonari. Following the construction, villages under Kachnapur, Mahadeva, and Madui (Ward No. 2), Fattepur (Ward No. 6), and Khalla Jhagadiya (Ward No. 7) of Rapti Sonari, as well as Wards 5 and 6 of Narainapur, remained safe from flooding this year.
Project Chief Chhatkuli further shared that temporary river control work spanning around 400 meters was also carried out in Jaraiya, Rapti Sonari, using bamboo piling and chachari (traditional bamboo matting) techniques during the last fiscal year. “We have already initiated work for this year as well, focusing on collecting stones for the embankment,” Chhatkuli said. “The permanent embankments completed last year successfully kept the villages safe this year.”
Prior to the construction, settlements such as Khalla Jhagadiya and Deupurwa in Rapti Sonari, along with Gangapur, Sonvarsha, Kudar-Betwa, and Kuduwa in Narainapur Rural Municipality, were at high risk from the Rapti River. Even light rainfall forced locals to stay awake all night out of fear that the river would flood their homes. However, the situation has changed now that the newly built concrete embankments have diverted the river’s flow toward safe banks. Despite recent heavy rainfall and flooding in the Rapti River, villages across Kachnapur, Mahadeva, Madui, Fattepur, Khalla Jhagadiya, and Wards 5 and 6 of Narainapur remained completely safe, according to Ram Lakhan Tharu, Ward Chairman of Rapti Sonari Ward No. 7.
“The 500-meter permanent embankment built in Khalla Jhagadiya protected many riverside villages during the recent heavy rains and floods,” said Ward Chairman Tharu. “Earlier, people would flee as soon as it rained. Now, there is great hope among riverside residents that the burden of staying awake through the night will gradually disappear.”
Encouraged by the positive outcomes of the structures built in previous years, the project is continuing embankment construction in the current fiscal year. According to Project Chief Chhatkuli, stone collection at construction sites and other technical preparations are underway at full speed for the next phase of embankments.
(National News Agency – RSS)
