Banke Residents Demand Permanent Flood and Erosion Control Ahead of Elections

Banke. Residents of the Rapti riverine areas in Banke have demanded a long-term solution to the problems of inundation and erosion. As the House of Representatives elections approach, locals in the Rapti river-affected areas have stated they will vote for candidates who can resolve the flooding and erosion issues.

These residents face annual problems of flooding and erosion. They have implored political leaders and candidates who come seeking votes during the election to arrange for embankments for a sustainable solution to the land erosion and village inundation problems.

“We have decided to vote only for those who can work to solve the perennial problem of flooding and erosion,” said Shankar Yadav of Nayabasti in Raptisapari Rural Municipality-7. “We cannot sleep properly during the monsoon due to the fear that a major flood might enter the village and sweep it away. Therefore, this time, candidates must bring a concrete plan for river control, not just assurances.”

He complained that although candidates come door-to-door seeking votes during elections, the rural municipality chairman and members of parliament do not return to the village after winning. The residents of the Rapti riverine areas in Banke, near the Nepal-India border, have been suffering from annual floods and inundation due to the Laxmanpur Barrage constructed by India in violation of international norms.

Voters in Raptisapari and Narainapur Rural Municipalities, falling under Banke Constituency No. 1, and Duduwa Rural Municipality, falling under Constituency No. 2, which are located along the Rapti river, have been demanding that the problem of arable land erosion and inundation be made an election issue.

Rajkumar Shukla of Holia in Duduwa Rural Municipality-1 complained that although they are greatly affected by the flooding and erosion caused by the Rapti River, the concerned authorities have not taken any initiative to solve the problem so far. The Rapti River keeps the residents of the lower riparian areas in fear every year. Dipendra Pandey, a local leader from Jhagadiya village in Raptisapari Rural Municipality-7, stated that the flood is causing land erosion.

“The risk of floods entering the settlement increases as soon as the flood arrives because there are no embankments to control the river,” he said. “Therefore, more than who wins or loses in the election, we are concerned and interested in whether embankment work for river control will happen or not.”

Lal Bahadur Thapa, a local leader from Fatehpur in Raptisapari Rural Municipality-6, said that in this election, they will vote for individuals who will solve the problems of flood victims and work in the interest of the people. “We can develop other infrastructure later, but the next representative must be serious about saving settlements from inundation and erosion,” Thapa said. “We will only vote for those who commit to solving the inundation and erosion problems.”

Bhakti Ram Pandey, a local from Jaraiya in Raptisapari Rural Municipality-6, stated that it has become routine for residents near the Rapti River to suffer from land erosion and inundation during the monsoon season because candidates who seek votes in every election promise to work on river control, but the work is never done. The risk of erosion and inundation remains as the West Rapti River Control Project, planned to control the erosion caused by the Rapti River in Banke, has not started.