After the construction of an embankment along the Karnali river in Tikapur Municipality, Kailali, the local residents were relieved that they wouldn’t have to face floods in the area. However, flash floods triggered by heavy rains in October third week breached the embankment and entered the settlements.

The locals are now worried about flood waters entering their settlements in the monsoon season or during unseasonal rainfall as the embankment repair work is yet to begin.

“The October floods damaged the embankment constructed by Rani Jamara Kulariya Irrigation Project. The repair work has not begun yet. The flooded Karnali river will certainly enter the settlements in the upcoming rainy season unless the flood-damaged embankment is repaired on time,” said Jitaram Chaudhary, a resident of Tikapur-8.

The unseasonal floods caused huge damages to the irrigation project. According to the Rani Jamara Kulariya Irrigation Project, properties worth around Rs 150 million were damaged by the floods that breached the embankment and damaged the irrigation canal and the approach road.

The locals have recently formed a struggle committee to pressurise the authorities concerned for timely repair of the damaged embankment. They said they were compelled to form the committee as Rani Jamara Kulariya Irrigation Project did not initiate repair works of the embankment even after three months of the incident.

The members of the struggle committee met the chief of the irrigation project Kedar Shrestha and urged him to start repairing the flood-damaged embankments immediately and complete the under-construction embankment at other places.

“The rainy season begins in around three months but the embankment repair work has not even started yet. We have been drawing the attention of the concerned authorities to the issue by forming a struggle committee,” said Dhansingh Saud, the coordinator of the flood victims' struggle committee.

According to Saud, who is also the chairman of Satti Karnali Community Forest, the October floods eroded around 20 bighas of forest land as the construction company delayed the embankment construction work.

Siddisai Construction company was awarded the contract to build an embankment along the Karnali river to protect the community forest.

Rani Jamara Kulariya Irrigation Project also admits delays in repairing the flood-damaged embankment and completing other under-construction embankments.

“The construction companies are indifferent towards completing their work on time, citing the Covid-19 pandemic. We are also worried about the delay,” said Shrestha.

According to him, the risk of flood is higher in Kailali district as the Karnali river flows in its direction.

“Haphazard excavation of riverbed materials has also heightened the risk of floods and erosion in the region,” he added.

The Karnali river bifurcates in the Chisapani area. From the Geruwa fork, the water flows towards Bardia district and Kailali district. The flow of water in both the distributaries was almost equal until a few years ago. But the flow towards Kailali has increased over time. Technicians argue that the embankment on the Kailali side cannot bear the pressure of a huge water flow.

Wards 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 of Tikapur Municipality that lie on the banks of the Karnali river are at high risk of floods.

In the 1960s, settlements started cropping up in the area since the land is very fertile and supports agriculture. But the locals have been greatly affected by recurring floods and weak embankments over the past few years.

Karnali, a major river system of the country, erodes its embankments every year, putting several settlements and cultivable land at risk of floods and inundation. Rani Jamara Kulariya Irrigation Project is constructing embankments along the river from Chisapani to the Nepal-India border to protect riverside settlements from floods and erosion.