TIKAPUR, JULY 13
With the increasing water level in the Karnali River, the erosion of adjoining places has continued at Shahipur of Tikapur Municipality.
The river is eroding the very place where the embankment is being constructed.
The locals here panicked after the river began cutting the embankment created by Rani Jamara-Kulariya irrigation project.
They have demanded immediate control measures to prevent further erosion. People from wards 5, 6, 7 and 8 will be directly affected if the erosion continues.
The irrigation project had constructed the embankment at Shahipur area six years back. After it was breached last year, the project, municipality, Armed Police Force and local people had jointly constructed a new embankment adopting bioengineering method.
Of the 11-metre wide levee, only two metres was left last year.
The project had, however, issued a tender notice to construct embankment for this year too.
"After the river erosion, the technical teams of the project inspected the area. If the local level provides some assistance, it would be possible to save the nearby settlements," said Ward 5 Chair Ramshankar Dagaura Tharu.
The river is likely to change its course towards the nearby settlements if the adjoining land is eroded continuously. It will also damage thousand hectares of arable land. The loss will be incalculable, he added.
The ward chairman further said he had informed the concerned offices about the river erosion.
A few days back, a meeting of the municipality disaster committee had decided to build a levee applying bioengineering method.
Mayor Tapendra Bahadur Rawal said the embankment was damaged every year because the river changed its course. "We need to focus on sustainability of physical infrastructure such as the levee. The structures made in the previous years have now been swept away," he reminded.
The Karnali River has put Ward2, and Sri Lanka Sati bridge of Ward 8 at high risk.
A version of this article appears in the print on July 14 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
