The flooded Kamala river breached its western embankment at Kiratpur in Sabaila Municipality-13, Dhanusha on Wednesday morning.

Floodwaters from the river have entered Kiratpur settlement and inundated paddy fields, according to Gudari Yadav, an engineer at the Kamala River Control Project Office in Janakpur.

“Several settlements in the district could be inundated if the water level increases in the river before the breached embankment is repaired,” Yadav said.

The rain-swollen river, according to the project office, eroded 270 metres of its embankment while another 600 metre area is at high risk. Security personnel were deployed in the area after the floods started eroding the embankment on Monday night.

“Security personnel on Tuesday attempted to protect the embankment by piling up soil-filled sacs along the river. But the floods swept them away and damaged the embankment,” said Superintendent of Police Prakash Ranabhat.

The local people are anxious about possible flooding in the area.

“Floodwaters will enter the settlement and wreak havoc if the watershed areas witness heavy rains,” said Sham Sundar Mahato of Kiratpur.

Security personnel have been deployed in the area to prevent floods from entering the settlements, he added.

The Kamala River Control Project Office claims that efforts are underway to control the floods by building temporary embankments.

“Three spurs have been constructed. Around 70 such spurs should be constructed in the area to control the floods,” said Ekaraj Bhattarai, chief at the project office. “Repair works of the breached embankment have started from Wednesday with the support of security personnel and the local people.”

Minister of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Pampha Bhusal released a Rs 5 million budget on Tuesday to control the flood in the Kamala river.

The breach of embankment by the Kamala river has put several settlements of Sabaila, Shahidnagar and Kamala municipalities and Janaknandi Rural Municipality in the eastern part of Dhanusha district at high risk of floods and inundation.