Sugabathan, a small settlement in ward 2 of Jhapa Rural Municipality, faces a persistent threat from the nearby Kankai river. Home to over 50 families—mostly from the Hemaram, Tudu and Santhal communities—the village consists of modest bamboo homes located just 50 metres from the river. During monsoon season, floods are a recurring nightmare. Also this Saturday, floodwaters breached the settlement and inundated 20 homes.

Dharmalal Hemaram, 48, recalls how floods have displaced his family multiple times. During the past floods, they took refuge in nearby schools and he worries the village may be completely displaced again this year. “We can't sleep peacefully during the monsoon. There’s no strong embankment to protect us,” he complained.

Floods have long haunted Sugabathan. The locals were displaced twice—in 2009 and 2010—when the Kankai river swept through the area. In October last year, floodwaters entered the settlement, but the village narrowly avoided displacement.

A river control initiative under the People’s Embankment Programme was launched after the 2009–10 floods, and much of the riverbank now has embankments—except the section facing Sugabathan.

Recently, work began to build a 420-metre section of the needed 1,800-metre embankment along Sugabathan’s eastern edge. But locals fear the work won’t be completed before the impending monsoon. Dharmalal said that embankment construction had stalled earlier due to land disputes. Some residents along the river refused to allow construction on their private land.

Ranjan Tudu, another local of Sugabathan, notes that the village lies below lower than the river, making it especially vulnerable. He fears another major flood could again displace the entire community. “Work has finally started, but progress is slow. That only adds to our anxiety,” he said. According to Tudu, the Santhal community originally settled near the river in 1995, but they have already been forced to relocate three times.

Durga Hemaram recalls a harrowing day in mid-July 2009 when relentless rain and rising floodwaters pushed residents to flee to a nearby school, taking their livestock with them. “Every monsoon, we live in constant fear. But no one seems to listen to us,” she added.

Sugabathan is not alone in facing the flood threat. Tapu, a settlement two kilometres north, is even more prone to flooding. But unlike Sugabathan, Tapu now has embankments. Dataram Shiwakoti, who moved to Tapu from Tehrathum in 1990, remembers the hardship caused by floods. “The embankments have given us some peace. In the past, we were constantly moving due to the river,” he said.

Anju Devi Thapaliya, acting chief of Jhapa Rural Municipality, admits that embankment construction has been delayed due to budget constraints. Although work has now begun, she said there is no guarantee it will be completed before the rains arrive. The municipality is preparing for emergencies, identifying shelters and relief plans for possible displacements in flood-prone wards like 1, 2, 5 and 6.

Meanwhile, Bijaya Kumar Regmi, head of the People’s Embankment Programme in Jhapa, said he is unsure if the work can be finished in time. Out of 22 ongoing packages in the district—14 disaster-related and 8 river control projects—progress is slow due to lack of funds. Contractors haven’t been paid in advance, and some have threatened to halt construction. “We’ve told them their money is safe and to keep working, but if they stop, we won’t finish before the monsoon rains,” said Regmi.

A contract was signed with contractors only on April 19, following a tender process announced in January. River control efforts are currently underway at two locations each on the Biring, Mechi and Kamal rivers. Embankments are also being constructed in Kankai and Ratuwamai municipalities.

The total estimated cost for these projects is Rs260 million, but contracts have been awarded for just Rs181.2 million. Disaster-related works remain largely stuck. While contracts for Jhapa and Shivasatakshi municipalities are in full swing, other sites have yet to move forward. Out of 14 disaster-mitigation packages, only two have been contracted so far.

As monsoon nears, Sugabathan’s residents remain caught between past trauma and present uncertainty—hopeful for protection but fearful of another devastating flood.