Myagdi. Mangala rural municipality has been at high risk of disaster due to erosion caused by the Myagdi River in the coastal areas, floods and landslides in local streams.

The rural municipality has prioritized conservation and risk mitigation programmes due to the incidents of big disasters in the past, damage to arable land due to river erosion and increasing risk in human settlements.

According to Sat Prasad Roka, chairperson of the rural municipality, there is a risk of river erosion in the coastal area and landslide in the upper region. “There is the risk of river erosion, flooding in rivulets during the rainy season, and fire and fire in the dry season”, he said, adding that programmes have been launched for river control, landslide prevention, tree plantation, relief and rehabilitation by identifying vulnerable areas. ”

In 2001, landslides in Arman killed at least 16 people and destroyed many houses, schools and drinking water facilities. Before that, the flood caused by the collapse of the Niskot cliff in 2045 BS had caused extensive loss of life and property.

Chhiswang, Kursimla, Pipalbot, Seraphant, Hadevir, Babiyachaur, Kanshebgar, Simalchaur and Bandra among other areas have been identified as vulnerable to river erosion. According to the locals, the river’s flow has changed and the erosion has turned the arable land into barren land.

Jit Bahadur Kisan, a local of Panabagar, said that the river has eroded more than four ropanis of arable land. “The river has not only put the farms but also the human settlements at risk. ”

It has been estimated that around Rs 2 billion would be required for the construction of a permanent protection structure along the 10-km stretch along the river. The Babiyachaur-Kanshebagar Settlement Conservation Plan has been implemented from the current fiscal year with the special grant from the federal government. Ruchendra Adhikari, chief of Infrastructure Section of Myagdi Rural Municipality, said that the construction of concrete and gabion wall on the bank of Myagdi River at the cost of around Rs 42 lakh has reached the final stage. More than 250 households are expected to benefit from this scheme.

Similarly, the river control structure constructed in the Hadebhir area has played an effective role in protecting settlements, health posts, under-construction hospital buildings and roads from erosion. With the support of the state government, river control projects have also been completed in Sim and Tarakhet areas.

However, the budget allocated by the federal government for the river training in Hilwangkhola, Chhiswang and Ratodhunga has not been implemented due to the dispute, according to Prijen Bhattachan of Mangala rural municipality-5.

The rural municipality has constructed helipads, managed relief fund, repaired roads and launched green road campaign in all the five wards for disaster risk reduction. Prem Kumari Adhikari, vice-chairperson of the rural municipality, said that the reconstruction of the private houses of the people who lost their houses due to monsoon-induced disasters has been problematic. According to him, 19 victims have been deprived of the grant agreement in the last three years due to the failure to update the details of the beneficiaries in the National Disaster Authority’s system.