Tikapur: Karnali River has intensified erosion near the Tikapur Park at Tikapur-5 of Kailali district, thereby raising the risks of inundation, putting settlements at wards no 5,6, 7,8 and 9 in real risks.
Sudur Paschim Province Chief Minister Kamal Bahadur Shah, minister for physical infrastructure development, Prakash Bahadur Deuba and minister for internal affairs and law, Shiba Raj Bhatta, visited the area affected by the river erosion. The Chief Minister promised to do his best from the individual and official-level to mitigate the risk of inundation and flood from the river. A large number of people will be affected, and paddy crops damaged if the river enters the settlement.
The Disaster Management Committee of Tikapur municipality has agreed to build a bio-embankment with the help of locals and the Rani Jamara Kulariya Irrigation Project, said project chief Kedar Kumar Shrestha. “Haphazard quarrying by the local levels has made the situation worse,” Shrestha said. The Meteorological Forecasting Division earlier in its bulletin predicted heavy rains in the region starting from Saturday.
Amidst this situation, the local government has implemented a system to alert the locals to possible consequences through a siren and a mobile text. People have been urged to keep their documents safe, and ensure safety of expectant mothers, senior citizens and the people with disabilities, Municipality’s Disaster Management Section chief Nirmala Chaudhary said. Heavy rains starting from August 7 have already affected 341 households at wards no 6 and 7 of Tikapur.
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