An under construction ‘industrial village’ at Kalakhola area in Baglung Municipality-13 is at high risk of erosion by the Kaligandaki river.

The Gandaki provincial government had announced it’d set up ‘one industrial village in each local unit’ four years ago. As per the provincial government’s plan, Baglung Municipality decided to establish the industrial village in around 100 ropanis of land in the Kalakhola area of Baglung-13.

The municipality had levelled the ground and fenced the area. The municipality built infrastructures with a plan to establish some factories and industries in the industrial village immediately. However, the flooded river damaged the infrastructure during the monsoon season in 2021.

“The municipality had to postpone its preparation to set up factories and industries as the river continued eroding the industrial village area,” said Basanta Kumar Shrestha, the mayor of Baglung Municipality. “The area is at high risk of erosion and landslide.”

The river had already eroded around 30 ropanis of land of the industrial village. An approach road constructed in the area also caved in and it was later washed away by the river. The construction of the industrial village is now left in limbo after the municipality spent around Rs2 million.

Baglung Municipality had a plan to shift around 50 factories and industries to the industrial village. “There are several saw mills and furniture industries, grill workshops and motor workshops in Baglung bazar area. They pollute the area. Such factories and industries need to be relocated to the industrial village to make the residence area clean and peaceful,” said Kumar Bikram Chhetri, ward chairman of Baglung-4.

The Kaligandaki river changed its course in the Kalakhola area apparently due to haphazard extraction of river bed materials in Sahashradhara area. The change in the river's course intensified erosion on the Baglung side, mainly in the rainy season, leaving the industrial village and settlements at risk of floods.

In 2020, the Supreme Court had banned the extraction of riverbed materials from the Kaligandaki river, but illegal extraction remains unchecked in the river.

Baglung Municipality of Baglung, Kushma Municipality and Jaljala Rural Municipality of Parbat, and Beni Municipality and Annapurna Rural Municipality of Myagdi lie on the banks of the Kaligandaki river and are therefore responsible for the conservation of the river. The local units, whose responsibility is to monitor and control exploitation, and collect revenue, have been found incapable of controlling the rampant exploitation of riverbed materials, causing threat of floods and erosion.

“After the Supreme Court’s order, Baglung Municipality stopped the extraction of riverbed materials. But illegal extraction is going on in the area. And we have to bear the brunt of the illegal activity,” said Shrestha.

Baglung Municipality’s plan to establish the industrial village is almost foiled by the erosion. The remaining land of the industrial village and the local settlements are also at the risk of flood and erosion. The local people complain that around a dozen houses and ropanis of paddy fields will turn into the riverbank if the authorities concerned build an embankment immediately.

“Our settlement is at risk,” said Mahendra Roka, a local of the Kalakhola area. “We don’t know when the river will sweep away our houses and paddy fields. The government should construct a concrete embankment to save the settlement and the industrial village.”

The villagers complain that the illegal extraction of the riverbed materials goes unchecked which multiplies the risk of flood.

Chief District Officer Netra Subedi, District Coordination Committee’s chief Amar Thapa and Mayor Shrestha made a field visit to the Kalakhola area a few days ago. After inspecting the area, Subedi assured that security would be tightened to curb illegal extraction of the riverbed materials.