Rajbiraj, July 25:

Residents of Shivanagar in Rampurjamuwa-9, Saptari, are worried that a flood might engulf their village.

A temporary dam, the villagers constructed two weeks ago by contributing voluntary labour for 15 days, was damaged by a recent flood.

Locals said they had constructed the dam by themselves after the government did not show concern to control the land cutting by the flood in Devghat and Phapi rivers. Over 70 households are now vulnerable to flood risk and say they are spending sleepless nights. Two years ago in June, the two rivers had badly cut land in the adjoining areas and the government had done nothing to tame the rivers dispite repeated requests by the villagers, said a local Asar Lal Pal.

The Rautahat DDC last year asked the Water Induced Disaster Control Division to help tame the river and the latter had requested for a budget of Rs 963,821 from the central office but nothing has been done as of yet, Pal said adding that any action to control the land cutting was delayed due to absence of VDC secretary, who could have conveyed their problem to authority concerned on time.