Nepalgunj. Banke: An emergency embankment has been constructed on the Rapti River at Khalla Jhagadia of Rapti sonari rural municipality-7 in Banke district. The emergency embankment has been constructed using bembopyling and RCC precision technology to protect the settlements from the flood of rapti river in the district. Locals are happy after the construction of the embankment.

“With the construction of the embankment, the risk of flood has reduced and now we are confident that we will be able to live safely,” said Ram Lakhan Tharu, ward chair of Rapti sonari-7. Appreciating the initiative and readiness taken under the People’s Embankment Office, he opined that the settlements would be saved in the rainy season this year.

Stating that there is a provision of permanent embankment after the rain is over, Ward Chair Tharu said that the locals were very happy after the embankment. Three years ago, half a dozen villages were in danger of being submerged when the embankment was flooded. Dozens of villages, including Khalla Jhagadia, were at risk of inundation after the Rapti River changed course after the floods of 2071 BS.

This year, the locals have been freed from the fear of floods after the People’s Embankment Office constructed an emergency embankment from the end of May. According to The People’s Embankment Office, Lamhi (Dang), efforts have been taken to protect the settlements from inundation as per the contract to construct a concrete embankment at a cost of Rs 65 million.

Office Chief Dr Narayan Prasad Subedi shared that initiatives have been initiated to reduce the risk of inundation by constructing emergency embankments at Khalla Jhagadia and Jaraiya this year. He said that such technology has also been used in eastern Nepal and western Rapti rivers.

Dr Subedi said, “We have used ‘bembopyling and concrete pracupine’ in an integrated manner.” Stating that a new practice has been carried out during the construction of embankments for research, he said that India has also built embankments with such technology after learning from them. According to him, bamboo, plastic bags filled with sand, nets and cement poles have been used in the emergency embankment.

Durga Pandey, a local, said that the construction of the emergency embankment has increased the confidence that the village will not be inundated due to the rain. The embankment constructed at Khalla Jhagadia will benefit Deupura, Piprahawa, Sonbarsha, Kudervetwa, Gangapur, Bhagwanpur of Narainapur rural municipality-6 and Najigaon, Bhojpur of ward-5 and Kudwagaun of Duduwa rural municipality-1.