Erosion control in Chure shows good results

By Bijay Kumar Sah Dhalkebar, July 5: The physical and biological embankment constructed to control streams and gullies in the Chure area is becoming effective under the Chure conservation campaign with the original slogan of "Chure's soil to Chure, clean water to all".

After the construction of the embankment around the streams of the Chure area, the ballast, sand and soil that flowed away with the rain have been retained in the area. Similarly, Chure conservation experts agreed that groundwater reserves are also increasing.

Thousands of cubic meters of soil and sand have been prevented from flowing down after President Chure Terai Madhes Conservation and Development Board Implementation Unit Office, Janakpur and Community Reform Centre Dhanusha constructed an embankment at Mithila Municipality-10 of Dhanusha, Badhari Khola in Lalgard and Khahare of Chure area two years ago. According to Sanjay Kumar Sah, chairman of the Community Improvement Centre Dhanusha, in the two years since the construction of the embankment began, the soil and sand up to a height of two meters, a width of 50 meters, and a length of about two kilometers have been blocked in the Chure area.

He said that in absence of this embankment, all the soil and sand would have flowed downwards and damaged the cultivable land. Sah informed that various species of plants including bamboo will be planted in the accumulated soil and sand.

Similarly, the Chure Board Implementation Unit, Janakpur has constructed embankments at steams in Dhanusha, Mahottari, Sarlahi, Rautahat, and Sindhuli districts. 

Mahesh Dhungana, chief of the Unit Office in Janakpur, said that embankments have been constructed in 44 places in the Chure area in the current fiscal year. He informed that small and big embankments have been constructed in Chure Galchhi and Khahare. Controlling the remains by constructing embankments has also helped in controlling the landslides in the Chure area. 

The embankments built to control the erosion have helped to control the flow of water flowing from the upper reaches of the river and prevent riverine substances including soil and sand from flowing into the river. Various species of trees including bamboo plants have been planted at the place where the dam was constructed. 

Devpujan Yadav, an engineer of the Janakpur unit, said that tree plantation helps slow down the erosion, and the damage would be changed into a green forest.