Ramechhap, June 17
Construction of housing structures along the Ranajor River in Ramechhap has intensified in recent years.
The river that flows by Manthali Bazaar is changing its course every year. As the river cedes ground, those people who have their land on the river front are building structures on the land ceded by the river.
Two years ago, a joint team of Manthali Municipality, District Coordination Committee and District Administration Office had visited the river banks and instructed the people concerned to halt the ongoing construction of houses and shanties on the river banks. Though the trend of constructing housing structures along the Ranajor river seemed to halt for some time after the monitoring, it has gained pace recently.
"The administration and other bodies concerned have not been be able to stop people from claiming land on the river front and developing houses and other structures there. This has increased the risk of floods and loss of lives and property," said April Adhikari, a local journalist.
Keeping in view the perils of constructing houses on the banks with narrow flow area further constricting the river and causing the threat of flooding, local civil society leaders had also drawn the attention of the local administration time and again to stop this activity.
Manthali Municipality has accused locals of ignoring its calls to avoid building new structures on the river banks.
A version of this article appears in the print on June 18, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
