Flooded Banaganga river threatens settlements

KAPILVASTU: The Banganga river flooded by monsoon rain has posed threats to human settlements in various places in Kapilvastu.

The river has been eroding the arable land in Banganga, Buddhabhumi, Maharajgunj, Kapilvastu municipalities and Yashodhara Rural Municipality of the district. As a result, villages of Kajarhawa, Padaria, Singraha, Hardauna, Karelia etc. are at risk of inundation.

Mayor of Maharajganj Municipality Abdul Kalam said the erosion could not be controlled due to problems such as lack of sufficient budget for river management. Although embankment construction work has started in some places of Hardauna, flood control work has not been completed yet.

Shailendra Choudhary, a local resident, said only few meters are left for the river to enter the village. Although the central, provincial and local governments and authorities have visited the area time and time again, there has been no initiative to stop the erosion and inundation.

Nepali Congress leader and former Minister of State for Irrigation Surendraraj Acharya said initiatives have been taken to control erosion by the river. Budget has been provided for the embankment of the Banganga river which is eroding arable land in Kapilvastu.