Banke. “Before it rained, we feared that the village would be inundated. But this time we are relieved after the construction of an emergency embankment on the river,” said Jhingdev Verma of Narainapur. Jhingdev, who is over six decades old, has seen many settlements washed away by floods in the Rapti River.

Recalling the past, he said, “Floods have made us wake up many times. We have become homeless during the festive season,” he said, recalling the past. ’

Rampyari Yadav of the same village said they were confident that the floods would not damage them this year. “Every year, we were worried about the river. Sometimes the flow of the river increases rapidly and makes us confused. But there is not much concern after the construction of the emergency embankment this year,” he said.

According to Rampyari, the floods affected women, children, senior citizens and pregnant women the most.

An emergency embankment has been constructed this year to protect the villages around the Rapti River from floods. A dozen villages of Rapti sonari and Narainapur rural municipalities in Banke district have been freed from the danger after the construction of the embankment.

The rapti river has changed course due to the emergency embankment, which has averted the risk for the time being. This has brought relief to the coastal villages. Two years ago, the rapti river flood washed away the concrete embankment, due to which the new embankment could not be constructed due to lack of budget. As a result, about a dozen villages and settlements around them were at high risk of inundation.

Lamhi Dang, the ‘People’s Embankment Programme’, has constructed a 400-metre-long emergency embankment using new technology using cement poles, bamboo, plastic bags and nets filled with sand to prevent erosion.

Project Chief Dr Narayan Subedi said the project was completed within a short span of time. He said that the demand has not been heard for the last two years, but now the people’s embankment program has constructed a temporary embankment in two months, which has removed the fear among the locals.

Locals believe that after the construction of the emergency embankment at Khallajhagadia in Khalla Jhagadia village of the rural municipality, the river will change its course and the erosion will be stopped. Deep Narayan Barma, a local of Rapti sonari-7, expressed the belief that the erosion would be stopped this year. Ward Chair of Rapti sonari ward no. 6, Lavraj Kharel, said that the relief has come as it has done very well.

As the construction of temporary embankment at Khalla Jhagadia village has been completed, the construction of emergency embankment on rapti river at Fatepur Jaraiya will be started now, according to the People’s Embankment Programme. Sai Maa Durga Vinci JV has started the work by awarding a contract of Rs 60.5 million to complete the 400-meter long concrete embankment in khallajhagadia area by December 2083.