PM urged for embankment construction in Banke before monsoon

By Siraj Khan,Nepalgunj, Apr. 26: Lawmaker Krishna KC Namuna has appealed to the Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' for the construction of embankments at nine high-risk places and repairing of damaged embankments in Rapti River before the onset of monsoon.

A proper embankment is required to protect Raptisonari and Narainapur Rural Municipalities, as well as remote areas of Banke from inundation during the rainy season. Every year, many villages there get inundated and eroded due to floods in the river. 

Lawmaker KC informed that he made a special request to the Prime Minister and concerned ministries in Kathmandu on Monday to safeguard the areas from inundation and erosion. He said that Prime Minister Prachanda had given instructions to the relevant ministries for the construction and repairing of embankments within the next two months. 

According to KC, the locals of Fattepur in Raptisonari-7 and Narainapur-6 were living in fear since embankments of both places collapsed last year and has not been repaired till date. 

He informed that he had met and discussed the matter with the Ministers for Water Resources and Irrigation, Physical Infrastructure and Home Affairs. During the meeting, everyone assured to implement the instructions of the Prime Minister, he added.

The floods in the river in October last year damaged embankments in different places.  According to the Raptisonari Rural Municipality, 1100-metre-long embankment needs to be repaired alone in Raptisonari-7.  Similarly, Narainapur Rural Municipality informed that 150- metre-long embankment needs to be repaired in Ward No. 7. 

Ram Chandra Yadav, a local activist in Narainapur-6, warned that the places would face massive damage this year if the embankments were not repaired. He added that hundreds of bighas of agricultural land would be destroyed, putting the lives of about 10,000 people in Fattepur of Raptisonari Rural Municipality-7 and Gangapur of Narainapur Rural Municipality-6 at grave risk.