Seven months since the start of the embankment project in Tribenidham border point, work on the Nepali side of the border has yet to start. Meanwhile, work on the Indian side has been already completed.

The project was initiated, keeping in view the dilapidated condition of the 55-year-old embankment along the Narayani River.

Several villages in Baniyi Tribedi Rural Municipality are at risk of inundation in the absence of a concrete embankment. To prevent the villages from flooding, locals say a 2236-metre embankment is essential.

According to Nanda Kumar Jha, an official from Balmiki Nagar in India, the total cost of construction on the Nepali side is Rs1,280 million.

According to Jha, the project’s contractors aim to complete the work across the Indian side before starting work on the Nepali side.

The embankment is being constructed with assistance from the Indian government.

Prem Chandra Gupta, a local journalist, said the locals in Tribenidham accuse Indian contractors, which are handling the project, of being biased. “But there’s nothing much the locals can do as the project is funded by India,” Gupta said.

The Indian contractors say that work has not gained momentum due to the increase in water levels in the Narayani River.

During winter, India channels water from the Narayani River to its side for irrigation.

The Gandak Treaty states that it is India’s responsibility to control the contingent harm caused by the Narayani River, both in India and Nepal. In India, Narayani is called Gandak.