Nepal blocking anti-flood measures, Bihar seeks Centre’s help

Muzaffarpur

Muzaffarpur

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With the monsoon picking up and Nepal creating hurdles in the anti-erosion work on its side, an alarmed Bihar government has written to the Centre to take up the matter with the Nepalese authorities for special permission to complete the remaining flood protection work on the Gandak barrage and the embankment along Lal Bakeya river, which originates from the neighbouring country and cuts through parts of north Bihar.

During peak monsoon season, rivers flowing from Nepal into downstream Bihar have been a bane for the state, as it happened last year and also during the Kosi disaster of 2008, when the Kosi river breached its embankment in Nepal.

As preventive measures, Bihar has been repairing embankments on such rivers in Nepal itself every year.

This year, however, Nepalese authorities have refused to allow flood prevention work.

Bihar’s water resources minister Sanjay Kumar Jha on Monday wrote to minister for external affairs minister S Jaishankar and Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat to intervene at their level and talk with the Nepalese counterparts to resolve the issue.

“The work on the Gandak barrage is crucial. It has 18 gates on the Indian side and 18 on the Nepal side. For decades, Bihar’s water resources department has been carrying out restoration work on both sides. There has never been any issue. But this time, Nepal has put up barriers to prevent anti-erosion work on their side,” Jha said.

Jha said that even on Saturday, there was discharge of 1.50 lakh cusecs of water from the barrage and in case of heavy rain, heavy pressure could lead to breach. “For plugging the breach and monitoring the situation, WRD officials and engineers have been going there every year with equipment and material, but this is the first time Nepal side has objected to it,” he has said in the letter.

Similarly, the minister said, on the ride side embankment on the Lal Bakeya river, work has been stopped for about 500 metres connecting India with Nepal. “Nepalese authorities are claiming it to be no-man’s land, while there have never been any issue here in the last 30 years,” he said.

In April, the Nepal government had given its nod to the Centre for carrying out anti-erosion work on its side in the midst of lockdown. The Bihar government had taken up the matter with the Centre after there were hurdles created in carrying out routine anti-erosion work at vulnerable points on the Kosi river before monsoon.

Meanwhile, India’s Sashashtra Seema Bal (SSB), which guards the Indo-Nepal border, has denied permission to Nepalese for repairing the left flank of the embankment on Lal Bakeya river near Tikulia village under Bairgania block in Sitamarhi district.

“The left flank of the embankment was breached for nearly 150 metres by floods in 2019. It has to be repaired by the end of May this year. We tried to repair it so that it does not damage harm human lives or standing crops. But our efforts have gone in vain as SSB officials has stopped us,” said Ajay Kumar Gupta, mayor of Gaur Nagarpalika of Rautahat district in Nepal.

Pramod Rai, a resident of Tikulia village in Indian territory, said Indians would benefit more if the embankment is repaired. “Once the embankment will be repaired, the standing crop in nearly 10,000 hectares would be saved from floods. We have already informed the district administration as well officials from water resource department (WRD), which is responsible for its maintenance since its inception. But they are silent,” said Rai.

When contacted, Suresh Kumar Ram, sub-divisional officer of the WRD at Bairgania, said he could do nothing until ordered by his superiors. “I have informed our superiors and waiting for their response,” he said.

Sitamarhi’s district magistrate Abhilasha Kumari Sharma could not be contacted despite several attempts.

Division commissioner Pankaj Kumar said he was not aware of the matter. “I will seek information from the DM and officials concerned from the WRD,” he said.

India’s ties with Nepal have, of late, turned for the worse after the Himalayan neighbour staked claim on Indian territories.

Earlier this month, an Indian was killed by the Nepalese guards at the border in Sitamarhi border, a first such incident in the area.

State at the receiving end

During peak monsoon, rivers flowing from Nepal into Bihar have been a bane for the state

As preventive measures, Bihar has been repairing embankments on such rivers in Nepal itself every year

This year, however, Nepalese authorities have refused to allow flood prevention work

Earlier this month, an Indian was killed by the Nepalese guards at the border in Sitamarhi border

Bihar shares over 700-km-long boundary with Nepal