SAPTARI: A majority of wards in Saptakoshi Municipality in Saptari district has been submerged after Chandra Nahar (Chandra Canal) collapsed.

The oldest canal in the country at Tulasichowk in ward 4 was damaged by the rain-triggered flood.

Zahir Hussein, ward chairperson of Ward no 2, shared that the flood in Mamaha Jutpani, Satrapatra, Tyangra, among other rivers, damaged the canal leading to inundation of several houses in Saptakoshi Municipality.

The Municipality having 11 wards is situated in between Saptakoshi River in the east, Chure hill in the west and Triyuga River in the south. Damages on properties worth millions incurred due to flood and inundation.

Paddy planted across hundreds of bigha was also destroyed in inundation, shared Krishna Prasad Dhakal, mayor Saptakoshi Municipality.

The ward office in ward no 1 was also submerged, informed office assistant Raj Kumar Ram, adding that all the papers and electronic devices were damaged.

The water from the damaged canal entered the human settlement at night which added to the woes of the locals here.

Ram Bahadur Bista said that water rose up to six feet at his house. The water of swollen rivers and rivulets entered the canal and swept away the canal, according to another local Gunaraj Sapkota.

The canal has been the oldest irrigation facility in the country. Around a dozen of siphons in the Canal built from main dam to Ganga Jali River will be shutdown.