Bimala Rishidev, a Dalit from Khadara settlement in ward 1 of Budhiganga Rural Municipality of Morang district, has been restless over the past few days. She is struggling to keep warm in her flimsy hut amid the biting winter cold. On top of that, the Musahar woman is deeply worried, fearing inundation in the settlement due to the haphazard drainage construction by the rural municipality.

“I cannot sleep well because of the winter cold and the fear of inundation. The local unit is hell-bent on carrying out development work, ignoring the impending risk of flooding in the area,” complained Bimala.

As part of an initiative by ward 1 office of Budhiganga Rural Municipality, a drainage system is being constructed to channel sewage from factories in the Tankisinwari area into the Khadara stream, which empties into the Singhiya river.

Like Bimala, scores of families from impoverished and Dalit communities have been worried thinking that ‘the immature’ development plan of the rural municipality will displace them due to flooding.

“Flooding from the polluted waters will certainly put the settlement at high risk. We will have to endure both pollution, and floods in the rainy season, due to the haphazard construction,” lamented Shiva Lal Majhi, another local.

The construction project, according to the local people, is moving forward without a Detailed Project Report (DPR) or an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA).

The local people have been protesting since the ward office started the drainage construction without constructing roads in the area. On Sunday, the agitating locals staged a demonstration in front of the ward office and submitted a memorandum, demanding that the construction be stopped immediately.

The protesters claimed that the ward office started constructing the drainage at the behest of certain realtors and industrialists. “The ward office is working in collusion with the realtors and industrialists to displace the local people,” claimed a local requesting anonymity.

Somraj Kafle, the ward 1 chairman, admitted that an industrial firm has provided Rs6 million and another has also pledged more for the drainage project.

“Factories have provided money to manage both the drainage and the stream. The work is in progress. The plan will be implemented by collecting Rs 10 million from the factories, and the ward will cover the remaining costs,” said Kafle.

According to him, the construction project will begin shortly by inviting a tender.

Experts warn that most wards of Budhiganga Rural Municipality will face inundation if the drainage construction plan is implemented. Similarly, ward 1 and 19 of Biratnagar Metropolitan City, as well as several wards of Katahari and Jahada rural municipalities will be at risk of flooding and erosion due to the project.

The Khadara stream and the Singhiya river have been shrinking due to encroachment. Sunil KC, a local resident, said that if more water is released into these already strained water bodies, the settlements nearby will face flooding. "If the ward’s reckless construction plan is implemented, our entire settlement will be submerged,” he added.

Locals are also worried about pollution in the stream and the river, as industrial sewage will be dumped into the water bodies. “The ward’s careless decision to discharge industrial sewage into these water bodies will pollute them. It will affect aquatic ecosystems as well,” said Dil Kumari Adhikari of ward 1 of Budhiganga.

Protesting against the ward’s ‘non-transparent’ move, the local residents have launched a phase-wise protest campaign. They organised a press meet in Biratnagar on Sunday and explained why they were compelled to take action. They drew the attention of the District Administration Office, Morang, other local units and authorities concerned. They are demanding an immediate halt to the drainage construction work, build sustainable embankments along the Khadara and Singhiya rivers, and make public the DPR and EIA report for the proposed drainage project.