Emergency embankment saves several villages from Rapti floods

By Siraj Khan

Nepalgunj, Aug. 6: A recently constructed emergency embankment has successfully held back the floodwaters of the Rapti River in Khalla Jhagadiya-7 of Rapti Sonari Rural Municipality, Banke, preventing significant damage to more than a dozen villages.

After a permanent embankment was damaged during a major flood two years ago, communities in Rapti Sonari and Narainapur Rural Municipalities were under constant fear of flood risks. To address this, a few days ago, under the "People's Embankment Programme," technicians from Lamahi swiftly constructed a temporary structure along the riverbank.

Despite continuous rainfall over the past three days, the emergency embankment withstood heavy flooding from the Rapti River on Tuesday morning. According to Ward Chair Ram Lakhan Tharu of Rapti Sonari-7, the floodwaters struck the temporary barrier and were diverted back along their previous path, thereby sparing 12 vulnerable villages.

Chair Tharu, who visited the site with local residents early Tuesday, stated that the flood’s direction was altered thanks to the embankment, effectively averting disaster in nearby settlements. 

He further noted that, while the embankment successfully held floods, some nearby areas remain at risk. Consequently, technicians from the Lamahi team began reinforcing additional sections of the riverbank with RCC porcupine poles on Tuesday morning.

Local resident Arun Yadav echoed this sentiment, saying, “Without the temporary embankment, this flood would have caused extensive inundation and erosion. Thankfully, the work was completed just in time to save us.”

Dr. Narayan Subedi, project chief of the Programme in Lamahi, expressed satisfaction with the outcome. “Working around the clock under tight deadlines, our team managed to complete the embankment, and we are pleased it successfully prevented further damage,” he said.

The team used a combination of cement poles, bamboo, sand-filled plastic bags, and netting to construct the 450-metre-long emergency embankment using modern techniques. In the most vulnerable sections, 3-metre-long, 10 x10 cm cement poles were joined to form RCC porcupines, which were strategically placed to stabilise the riverbank.

Meanwhile, Sai Ma Durga Bhinsi JV has been awarded a contract worth Rs. 60.5 million to construct a 400-metre permanent embankment in the Khalla Jhagadiya area. The project, expected to be completed by December 2026, includes the emergency structure as part of its initial phase. Full-scale construction of the permanent embankment will resume once the monsoon ends, according to officials from the Lamahi programme.