DAMAULI, July 7

The continuous erosion caused by the Seti River has put more than 60 houses in the trading hub of Bhimad in Tanahun at high risk of flood.

Due to fear of flood, residents of these houses go to safer places to spend their nights though they conduct their business from their houses in the daytime.

Seti River Control and Market Management Committee Secretary Raju Pariyar said that with the onset of monsoon, locals would be deprived of sleep.

Dhruba Bhandari, a local, said even black clouds made them panic. Bhandari recounted the flood that swept away the toilet in his house and his neighbour’s house 11 years ago. “We live in fear that the flood will sweep away our houses every year after the onset of monsoon’, Bhandari lamented. Lack of embankment has been terrorising locals of Bhimad for a long time.

Committee Treasurer Buddhiraj Lamsal said the fund, which was slashed by the Water-induced Disaster Committee, had left the locals terrorised.

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When Rs 5 lakh was allocated from the Parliament Development Fund at the initiative of then Forest Minister Kiran Gurung, some nets and wires had been installed to control flood. Locals of Bhimad said that Rs 2.5 million was spent on river control, but it had little or no result.

Around ten years ago, a river control project worth Rs 33.4 million was prepared. However, the project is yet to be implemented. Committee Secretary Parajuli said efforts were under way to solicit around Rs 20 crore needed for construction of cemented walls to ensure river control.

Committee Chairman Shyam Sundar Joshi said that failure to control the river due to budget crunch had worsened the danger. Joshi said that they had sought adequate budget from National Planning Commission and Water Resource Ministry for construction of embankment in the river.