DIPAYAL, July 14

With monsoon in full swing, the swollen Seti River has caused soil erosion and put 75 households of Barpata in Doti at risk.

Soil erosion has destroyed hundreds of ropani of arable land in the last four years. As many as 75 houses face the risk of being swept away.

Two local streams flowing through the village have added to the woes of locals. “We live in constant fear of landslides and floods.”

Rokaya said fear of landslide had gripped villagers. He added that there was no option but to relocate settlements to safer places.

Similar is the situation at Simaragaun of the district. Soil erosion has been a headache for villagers. Local Padam Bista said dark clouds sent chills down the spine as they fear death due to sudden disaster. “The river has eroded the land below the houses and could sweep them away anytime,” he said.

Meanwhile, flood water from Seti River that gushed into Siddeswori Higher Secondary School in Banedugrisain led to disruption of classes. Chairman of the School Management Committee Min Bahadur Balayar said floods in the river disrupt classes every monsoon.

More than two dozen settlements of Girichauka, Latamandu, Pachnali, Lamikhal, Ladagada, Tikhattar, and Silgadi municipality of Dipayal are at high risk of flood from the Seti River.

The floods have been turning a massive amount of arable land into desert every year.

Flood control efforts in the area, however, have yielded little or no result. Locals accused the government of making false promises in the name of building embankments.

Ramesh Chandra Awasthi, chief of Water Induced Rescue and Control Division Office Dipayal, said that his office had prepared a river control masterplan. Work to build 11 embankments from Girichauka to Tikhhattar has begun, said Awasthi.