River wrecks fields, farmers worried

By Our Correspondent,Ghorahi, July 9: As the month of July started and farmers remained busy in paddy plantation, the farmers in Banglachuli Rural Municipality-6, Rivan wete still worried as the river wrecked their fields. 

The field where they used to cultivate rice for years has been swept away by the floods in the Dangbang River last year. After that, they are deprived from rice cultivation as the land remains badly damaged by the floods.

Locals blame that Ghorahi Cement Industry and Samrat Cement Industry’s haphazard stone dumping into the Dangbang River from the mines to extract limestone had damaged arable land.

Khim Prasad Mahara, a local resident of Rivan, said that the farmers had been farming rice for three to four generations near the river but they were deprived from farming after the floods. “I used to earn from my nine ropanis land before the flood but now I have to purchase rice for my survival,” he added.

Mahara claimed that he lost his fertile land due to the haphazard stone dumping during the extraction of limestone. “Nothing happened with our arable lands for several years but the river swept it away after the extraction as it was blocked,” he said. He also complained that the local body ignored the voices of the victims.

“I submitted a petition to the judicial committee of the rural municipality but they ignored it,” he said, adding that cement mining was the reason of natural disaster they faced. He also said the field used to produce rice for year-round consumption. But it is full of stones now. 

Farmer Mahara shared that he was raising a family of 10 people from rice cultivation in his nine ropanis land previously but now he has to buy rice for the survival.

Another farmer Himal Woli in Rivan has similar experience as Mahara has. Woli had some 14 ropanis of land in the same rural municipality which has been swept away now. “I only have stones in my land at the time of paddy plantation,” he said, adding that most of the time he spends clearing stones and soil in his field now. He said farmers visit their fields to clear stones but return home disappointed. 

According to him, there were no youths in the village for the farming and elderly farmers were facing a challenge of survival after the natural disaster. 

“The river swept the lands away and they have a challenge of how to support the family.”

Dangbang River had swept some 150 ropanis of lands of 60 households in Rivan village last year. Bhakta Bahadur GC, vice chair of the Rural Municipality, said that piles of stones and sand had accumulated in arable lands of the locals due to the messy operation of the cement industries. 

“Local judicial committee has informed both the industries about the matter after they received complaints from the locals,” he said. However, no positive initiative was taken to solve the problem from both sides. Authorities of the cement industry have not appeared for the discussion to solve the problem till now.