RAJBIRAJ, SEPTEMBER 25

A few days of incessant rainfall has inundated hundreds of houses in Saptari district.

Water from swollen Khado, Balan, Triyuga, Jita and Mahuli streams has gushed into houses in district headquarters Rajbiraj and many other rural areas.

In Wards No 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11 and 13 of Rajbiraj, nearly 300 homes have been inundated with floodwaters and excess rainwater due to poor drainage system in the city. Gajendra Chowk, Siraha Road and Adalat Road are also water-logged.

“The water-logged roads have not only hit transportation, but we also face the risk of snakebites as snakes and other harmful insects flow into our homes with floodwater,” Rakshya Chaudhary of Rajbiraj-5 told THT.

Locals have expressed concerns about the poor drainage system and demanded that the city authorities take effective measures to address the problem.

According to Ward No 5 Chairperson Samir Jha, around 150 houses have been inundated in the ward.

More than 50 houses in Tilathi Koiladi Rural Municipality, Belhi Tole, Hanumannagar Kankalini Municipality and Rampura Malhinaya have been inundated, with local Khando and Jitakhola rivulets wreaking havoc in the areas.

According to Tilathi Koiladi Rural Municipality Crisis Management Officer Rajesh Kumar Jha, the villages were under three feet of water.

In Balan Bihul Rural Municipality, locals have expressed concerns about the erosion of the western embankment of the swollen Balan stream. The rivulet had eroded around 800 metres of the embankment about two months ago.

In view of the risk posed by the rivulet, the local administration has kept security agencies at high alert and asked the population living on its banks to be cautious.