Little headway to check barrage erosion
Somnath Bastola
Itahari, September 1:
Though the Saptakoshi River is flowing below the red mark, it is fast eroding the embankment negating the efforts to control the damage. According to the technicians involved in the work to repair spurs, the efforts to control the erosion has met with failure. The technicians said though the officials of Nepal and India had visited the disaster sites little headway was made in the repair work.
They added that it might be a challenging task to return the Saptakoshi River to its original course. Sub Engineer Rewati Raman Singh, assigned by the Bihar government to control erosion, said work at the disaster site was yet to begin. Singh told this correspondent at the Saptakoshi embankment area in Paschim Kusaha, said a 16-member Indian team of technicians had arrived in Sunsari, but no work could begin for the lack of coordination with officials of the Nepali government. “We plan to begin work on the northern and southern flanks of the collapsed spurs,” engineer Singh said. He added that the Sunsari district administration had neither built the road to bring machines up to the breach site nor has it provided the necessary fuel.
The Hindustan Construction Limited has been assigned with the task of reconstruction of the damaged spurs and controls the erosion. Though sand-filled sacks were placed on the embankment near Spur No 1360 two days back, they were swept away. Today concrete stones covered with galvanised wire were planted to control further land erosion. “We are doing our best, without much effect,” said Nepali contractor Amar Karki. Spur No 1360 threatens Bhokraha and Inaruwa, Karki said.
The work was yet to begin on Spurs No 1211 and 1212 though Sunsari CDO had claimed over phone that the work to repair the spurs was on at fast pace. It may be mentioned that Spurs No 1210 and 1290 had collapsed on August 18, gushing Sptakoshi waters into the human settlement areas.
Source: The Himalayan Times, 02-September, 2008
Though the Saptakoshi River is flowing below the red mark, it is fast eroding the embankment negating the efforts to control the damage. According to the technicians involved in the work to repair spurs, the efforts to control the erosion has met with failure. The technicians said though the officials of Nepal and India had visited the disaster sites little headway was made in the repair work.
They added that it might be a challenging task to return the Saptakoshi River to its original course. Sub Engineer Rewati Raman Singh, assigned by the Bihar government to control erosion, said work at the disaster site was yet to begin. Singh told this correspondent at the Saptakoshi embankment area in Paschim Kusaha, said a 16-member Indian team of technicians had arrived in Sunsari, but no work could begin for the lack of coordination with officials of the Nepali government. “We plan to begin work on the northern and southern flanks of the collapsed spurs,” engineer Singh said. He added that the Sunsari district administration had neither built the road to bring machines up to the breach site nor has it provided the necessary fuel.
The Hindustan Construction Limited has been assigned with the task of reconstruction of the damaged spurs and controls the erosion. Though sand-filled sacks were placed on the embankment near Spur No 1360 two days back, they were swept away. Today concrete stones covered with galvanised wire were planted to control further land erosion. “We are doing our best, without much effect,” said Nepali contractor Amar Karki. Spur No 1360 threatens Bhokraha and Inaruwa, Karki said.
The work was yet to begin on Spurs No 1211 and 1212 though Sunsari CDO had claimed over phone that the work to repair the spurs was on at fast pace. It may be mentioned that Spurs No 1210 and 1290 had collapsed on August 18, gushing Sptakoshi waters into the human settlement areas.
Source: The Himalayan Times, 02-September, 2008
