Rautahat seeks urgent help to repair flood-damaged bridges

By Our Correspondent,Gaur, Aug. 22:Floods in the rivers in Rautahat on August 8 and 9 have wreaked havoc across the district, damaging property worth millions of rupees.

The Water Resource and Irrigation Office in the district informed that floods in the seasonal rivers, such as Manjh, Chandi, Kamdehi, Aruwa, Bhakuwa, Lamaha and Gujara, caused damages to roads, bridges and spurs. 

"The Manjh River damaged a bridge in Ward No. 5 of Durga Bhagwati Rural Municipality and another one in Yamunamai Rural Municipality. It also caused damage to Rakatmala Mai Temple and eroded two places in Ward No. 5 of Madhav Narayan Municipality," said the office.

Similarly, the flood in the Chandi River caused damage in wards 3, 4 and 5 in Chandrapur Municipality. Likewise, the Kamdehi River affected some places of Yamunamai.

"The damage from floods was reported from across the district. Other seasonal rivers had affected properties in Maulapur Municipality, Gujara Municipality, Katahariya Municipality and Ishanath Municipality," said Suman Kumar Jha, chief of the Gaur-based Water Resource and Irrigation Office.

"It has been estimated that Rs. 22.5 million is required immediately to tame the rivers and repair the damage caused on spurs and embankments," said Jha.

Similarly, the office has urgently sought Rs. 30 million to repair the western embankments of the Bagmati River, among others. “The eastern and western embankments of the Lalbakaiya River also need to be repaired and it would cost around Rs. 10 million," said Jha.

According to the authorities, the rivers could cause more damage if the repair works were not performed urgently.