Locals of Mahalbari in Susta Rural Municipality, Nawalparasi, on Wednesday breached a part of Gandak canal’s wall to drain the rainwater that had flooded their settlements and paddy fields.

Prem Chandra Gupta, a local, said the villagers were relieved after rainwater receded in the settlement following the canal wall breach.

“Our village faces the risk of inundation every monsoon. Until the authorities find a permanent solution, breaching the canal is the only way to save our village from rainwater,” Gupta said.

The locals had breached the canal’s wall in 2000 as well. Post the breach, Indian authorities had installed four hume pipes as outlets for floodwaters. However, the pipes are not enough to hold the floodwaters during heavy rains.

According to Gupta, heavy monsoon rains inundated around 4,000 hectares of paddy fields at the municipality in the past few days.

“The canal’s walls are built on an elevated land because of which rainwater pools in the Nepali side, flooding nearby settlements and farms,” said Gupta.

Shambhu Prasad Marasini, the chief district officer of Nawalparasi (West), said rainwaters flood the settlements every year since there is no proper infrastructure to direct the flow of water southwards.

“I will inform my Indian counterpart about the problem,” he said.

The Gandak canal is a joint irrigation and power project between Nepal and India. A dam was constructed to channelise around 18,000 cusec water through this canal. 

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