Embankment limited in planning

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Even though many planning of embankment had been made to protect the farm and settlement of the famers including Jaya Ram Tharu.

The planning of embankment at Jaraiya, Rapti Sonari Rural Municipality in aid Asian Development Bank (ABD) was made in 2020,  the contract was made in 2022, but the work in ward 6 has not moved ahead.

The reposrt made public by the ADB shows that work on embankment have been going on in ward 5 and 7.

Cadre of CPN (Maoist Center) Maheshwor Jung Gahatraj, also former Member of Parliament ( MP) from Banke constiency-2, said that even though the agreement was done to work in ward 6 in aid of the government of India but has not started yet.

He said, “Even though the agreement was made to embankment from Laxmanpur damp till Nepal, it is yet to fructify. The locals of Jorauyama settlement which is so far not destroyed, are worried till when their luck will stop favoring and their settlement and cultivatable land will be destroyed by flood.”

g]kfn ef/t ;Ldf glhs kg{] j8f g+ ^ df ef/t ;/sf/sf] cg'bfg ;xof]udf sfd ug{] eg]/ lg0f{o eP klg x'g g;s]sf] afFs] If]q gDa/ @ sf k"j{ ;f+;b tyf g]skf (dfcf]jfbL s]G›) sf g]tf dx]Zj/hË uxt/fh atfpg'x'G5 . “nId0fk'/ afFwb]lv g]kfnlt/sf] If]qdf t6aGw ug{ ef/t ;/sf/;Fu ;Demf}tf eP klg cem};Dd sfd ;'? ePsf] 5}g,” pxfF eGg'x'G5, “hf]/}ofdf clxn];Dd ar]sf] a:tL / v]tLof]Uo hldgdf sltv]/ af9L k:g] xf] eg]/ ToxfFsf afl;Gbf qf;df 5G .”

Ghatajraj claims that the government of India has already provided the aid but the official of Priority River Basins Flood Risk Management Project (PRBFRMP) under Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation defies it and said that the aid is limited in discussion stage.

Dirctor of the Project Min Raj Dhakal said that the work of embankment, in aid of loan from ADB, is underway at ward 5 and 7. No clear answer was obtained from him on topic of embankment in Jorauyama.

He said, “There was a discussion of gradually expanding embankment from Holiya of Banke in aid of India but is yet to reach in concrete decisions. There is no hurdle to start working if the investments are made available.”  

uxt/fhn] ef/t ;/sf/n] oxfFsf] t6aGwsf nflu ;xof]u pknAw u/fO;s]sf] bfaL u/] klg hn;|f]t tyf l;FrfO ljefu dftxtsf] k|fyldstf k|fKt gbL a]l;g af9L hf]lvd Joj:yfkg cfof]hgfsf sd{rf/Ln] To:tf] of]hgf 5nkmndf dfq} /x]sf] atfpg'x'G5 . cfof]hgfsf lgb{]zs dLg/fh 9sfnsf cg';f/ Pl8aLsf] C0f nufgLdf /fKtL ;f]gf/Lsf j8f g+ % / & df xfn t6aGwsf] sfd eO/x]sf] 5 . j8f g+ ^ hf]/}ofdf t6aGwsf] sfd gx'g'sf] sf/0faf/] pxfFn] :ki6 hjfkm lbg'ePg . pxfFn] eGg'eof], “ef/tn] afFs]s} xf]lnofaf6 qmdzM t6aGw ub{} cfpg] s'/f rn]sf] xf] t/ 7f]; lg0f{o ePsf] 5}g . ;/sf/n] cfly{s ;|f]t h'6fOlbP sfd ug{ s'g} cj/f]w 5}g .”

Then, we looked into prior agreements between Nepal and India between various bilateral committees. The detailed report of project revealed that DPR was built 10 years ago with an aim to build an embankment towards five kilometers of Nepal in Rapti River. The report about DPR was presented at the meeting of the eighth inspection/meeting of Nepal-India Joint Committee on Inundation and Flood Management (JCIFM) held in Janakpur in 2014.

The report published by an Indian organization Ganga Flood Control Commission (GFCC), in 2021 mentioned about the agreement of controlling flood in rivers including Rapti River.

o;kl5 xfdLn] g]kfn ef/tlarsf ljleGg låkIfLo ;ldltsf k'/fgf lg0f{o vf]Hof}F . ef/t ;/sf/n] klZrd /fKtLdf g]kfntkm{ kfFr lsnf]ld6/df t6aGw ug{] eg]/ !) jif{cl3 g} lj:t[t cfof]hgf k|ltj]bg (l8lkcf/) tof/ u/]sf] tYo e]l6of] . pQm l8lkcf/ ;G @)!$ df hgsk'/df ;DkGg cf7f}F g]kfn ef/t ;+o'Qm ;ldlt 8'afg tyf af9L Joj:yfkg a}7s (h]l;cfOPkmPd) df k]; ePsf] lyof] . ;fy} ef/t ;/sf/sf] ;+:yf uËf km\n8 sG6«f]n sld;gn] ;G @)@! df k|sfzg u/]sf] jflif{s k|ltj]bgn] klg klZrd /fKtL;lxtsf gbLdf af9L lgoGq0fsf] sfd ug{] ;Demf}tf ePsf] pn\n]v u/]sf] 5 .

There was an agreement to build a 41 kilometers strong embankment in both sides of West of Rapti River and for that, India was to provide aid of Rs 1.44 billion, in the meeting about water resources that was held between officials of Nepal and Nepal at Patna, India, on July, 2022. But, that work is yet to start.

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There is no clear answer as to why the project is yet to fructify.

Chief of People’s Embankment Office, Lamahi Ram Aryal said, “The budget that was to be provided by the Embassy of India is yet to be received therefore, the project is yet to start. This should be initiated by the embassies but we do not have any idea on this subject.”

While enquiring in telephone about this with Secretary of the Embassy of India in nepal Dr Sahil Kumar, he responded to send him the text. But, no reply was obtained even after a week of sending a text in social media.

The cadres of political parties said that 18 families are still far from clutch of deadly flood Jaraiya but the fatal fate does not seem too far away.

Jaya Ram Tharu, two bigh of land is just 10 meters far from Rapti River.

“The remaining land will also be swept away in flood. Who will protect from turning our lands into river bank Rapi River will again swell up,” said, farmer Jaya Ram Tharu Tharu.

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Around 255 families are living by making temporary settlement in Mohanpur Jungle. Mohanpur Jungle have been a rescue point to all those who have lost everything. This incidents in Jaraiya is on increasing treatment with the increase of incidents of flood and landslide.

df]xgk'/ hËn ho/fdsf] kl/jf/ h:t} af9Ln] 3/v]t u'dfPsfx¿sf] cf>o:yn ag]sf] 5 . ToxfF nueu @%% kl/jf/ c:yfoL cfjf; agfP/ a;]sf 5G . af9L klx/f]sf 36gf a9];Fu} hf]/}ofsf ls;fgn] h;/L cfkm\gf] 3/, hfoh]yf tyf hLljsfsf] cfwf/ hldg u'dfpg]x¿ al9/x]sf 5G .

Ward 6 chair of Rapti Sonari Rural Municipality Labraj klharel is also victim of flood and . The hands of local government has been tied because of lack of budget.

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He said, “Rapti River is further expanding. It will turn our lands into destroy. Even if we cannot protect our lands, we need to avoid human causalities.”

The flood of August 2014 swept away 3 bigha of land. All the green pastures of Gulariya, Kamaiya Danda, Balamba, Sidhanwa, have been turned into river bank. The incessant rainfall of July 5 had also turned lands into riverbank.

He said that those who are at risk of flooding needs to be relocated.

j8f g+ & sf j8fWoIf /fdnvg yf¿sf cg';f/ h/}of, kbgxjfnufot /fKtLlsgf/sf sltko kmfF6x¿ /fKtLsf] s6fgn] l5§} au/ aGg] hf]lvddf 5G . “gbLsf] a]un] vn\nf6k/Ldf /x]sf] k'/fgf] t6aGw eTsg] cj:yfdf k'Ubf la;dk'/ emg} vt/fdf 5, t/ t6aGw dd{t ug{] ah]6 5}g,” pxfFn] eGg'eof] . cfkm"x¿n] gbL lgoGq0fsf nflu k|b]z / ;‹Lo ;/sf/sf sfo{fnox¿df xf/u'xf/ u/] klg pknlAw z"Go ePsf] j8f g. ^ sf j8fWoIf v/]nn] atfpg' eof] . kfFr jif{cl3 hgtfsf] t6aGw sfo{qmdn] ;f]xL j8fsf] g;{/L If]qdf sl/a Ps lsnf]ld6/ afFw afFlwPsf] lyof] . To;n] sl/a b'O{ xhf/ Ps ;o 3/w'/L /x]sf] j8f g+ ^ sf] d'Vo a:tLnfO{ clxn];Dd hf]ufPsf] 5 t/ of] afFw sltko :yfgdf cfpFbf] jif{fcufj} dd{t ug{'kg{] cj:yf eP klg To;sf nflu ah]6 / of]hgf g} g/x]sf] v/]nsf] egfO 5 . clxn] ;f}l/of / 7'nf]k'/f 6f]nsf afFsL a:tL / hldg hf]ufpg sl/a Ps xhf/ b'O{ ;o ld6/ t6aGw cfjZos /x]sf] :yfgLo hgk|ltlglwx¿ atfpF5G . j8fWoIf v/]n eGg'x'G5, “ljklQ cfpFbf jf dfgjLo Iflt x'Fbf tTsfn /fxt ljt/0fdf ;/sf/ s]xL rgfvf] x'G5 t/ bL3{sfnLg ;d:of ;dfwfgdf dtnj ub{}g .”

Ward Chair 7 RamLakhan Tharu, said that the fields near river bank of Jaraiya, Padanhawal, are at the risk of turning into desertification.

“Bisampur is at grave risk as the old embankment are at risk of getting destroyed by tide of Rapti river, but no budget has been allocated to repair it,”, he said.

Ward chair 6 Kharel said, “The government gets alert when human casualties and disaster strikes, but has no plan for sustainable problem.