Subin Bishwakarma
Barakhshetra : The old father who is just entering the new spring of 68 years. Chauri that can be clearly counted all over the face. White hair, beard and hair. The old men are staring at the edge of Koshi in torn clothes. The well-known name of the old man is 'Dhamibaje' alias Paruhang Kulung. Fear, panic and tears may have been there all night, his eyes have also become red due to swelling of Pareli's dill.
Looking around, no one has peace of mind. Family and neighbors stay up all night. Probably a factor as to why they're doing so poorly. Dhamibaje was saying, 'Rainy season comes and goes with stress.'
A tear falls from his right eye and he looks at the ground and says, 'Oh God, how many more days do I have to suffer?' Wiping away the tears again, he added, 'What did I do wrong, and should I always suffer like this?' Now his speech stopped.
Today the weather has changed a bit. It hasn't rained as usual. Today, Dhamibaje's family is full of laughter. His daughter-in-law Rama, who lives a short distance away, says, "We have been suffering for many years." While breastfeeding her 7-month-old son in her arms, she adds, 'Why was there such pain when giving birth? But when it rains, we have so much pain, sorrow and fear. ' Especially when the rainy season starts and the sky starts to thunder, then it becomes difficult for children, the elderly and the disabled and pregnant and lactating women. When Rama sleeps with her 7-year-old son at night, the sky thunders. She wakes up and looks at her son's face. She goes out again and sees if the cattle in the barn have been washed away.
He wants the months of Asar, Saun and Bhadau to never come. Rama is worried about what the floods will do, but more about her son's education. The son is in 4th grade at a nearby school. Rama says, "It is a far cry to go to school on a rainy day." Cattle are raised in the barn. Dhamibaje says, "Two years ago, when I looked at the items in the barn at night, the barn itself was empty." This is not their only problem. The flood has always been a painful wound for the common people living on the banks of Saptakoshi.
If someone falls ill in this region during the rainy season, there is no way for an ambulance to come. Badri Rai, another local from Tappu, Sri Lanka, says, "If someone is seriously ill here, they have to be taken to the hospital on a tractor. Sometimes that is not possible." The bridge in Bhagalpur was an easy way for the locals to get around when they were in trouble. But now he is unable to walk on the river.
Local students are not allowed to go to school. Those who have done business and other jobs cannot go to work. The main occupation of the locals here is agriculture and animal husbandry. Sri Lanka Tappu is famous for its cash crops of maize, paddy and spices and vegetables. However, locals complain that the rains have damaged food and crops.
When the rainy season begins, the residents of Barakhshetra Municipality 6 and 9 connected to Koshi are still forced to stay awake all night in fear. Even this year, Garaiya Tappu is at high risk. According to the locals, if Garaiya Tappu erupts, many families here will be destroyed. At present, there is a settlement at a distance of 200 meters from Koshi. India has built embankments in many places to prevent erosion. However, with the increase in the flow of water in Koshi, the trinity is washed away. In this context, experts say that the cutting of Koshi can be stopped only with the help of stone nets. But the problem is that there is no long-term solution to the problem.
Many leaders from the region won the election by making the issue of Koshi Katan and flood victims their agenda. Most of the land of Koshi Katan belongs to Barakhshetra municipality and some land belongs to Belka municipality of Udaipur.
Mayor Nilam Khanal and Deputy Mayor Kamala Magar, the first people's representatives of Barakhshetra Nagar, announced before the election that the problems of Koshi Katan and flood victims would be solved. But his term ended. The outgoing people's representative claims that he has taken as much initiative as possible with the state and federal governments during his tenure. There are squatters of Chandravanshi and Kavirath castes living in tents on the banks of Koshi. They have complained that the political parties have played with their sentiments.
That should be the reason why Dhamibajas are reluctant to talk to the media. He refuses to take photos, saying that everyone comes to ask about their problems but does nothing. He says, 'From the leader to the minister, they come, see and go. But what have you done to us? '
What do stakeholders say?
The Koshi River and the problems that arise from it are not the only problems here. The Koshi River connects the relationship and problems between Nepal and India. There is a history that more than 5,000 people in Sunsari have been displaced by the flooding of Koshi barrage dozens of times due to India not opening all the gates of Koshi barrage. V.S. On 15 April 2011, Nepal and India signed an agreement on the Koshi Plan. Koshi Barrage was built after the agreement.
Thousands of villages and settlements including Barakhshetra Municipality of Sunsari, Koshi Municipality, Belka Municipality of Udayapur and Kanchanrup Municipality of Saptari are at high risk of floods every year.
The Barahkshetra municipality on the banks of the Kosi is also at risk of all kinds of disasters, confirming the disaster that the people of Barahkshetra have faced in the past. Residents of Barakhshetra have been suffering from the threat of Koshi Katan after the rains. The floods have washed away 30,940 houses in the settlements of thousands of families, leaving people without land, food and livestock. Although Kosi Katan and floods are one of the problems of the states and the federation, it is clear that the concerned bodies keep their ears open only for a couple of days in the monsoon and forget about other times.
Deputy Mayor of Barakhshetra Nanda Kumari Rai said that the city government has been repeatedly drawing the attention of the state and federal governments to take initiative. She said, "Solving the problem of Koshi Katan is a long-term project. We are taking initiative with the upper government to solve it." For the time being, we are all working to form a disaster management committee in the city. She said.
Similarly, Sri Lanka's Tappu, which borders Udayapur's Belka and Sunsari's Barakhshetra, is considered a high-risk area. Wards No. 6 and 9 of Barakhshetra are being cut directly from Koshi Bhaktan while Ward No. 3 of Belka is likely to be affected. It is seen that most of the places 2, 3, 8 and 9 of Belka will be damaged with the eruption of Koshi. Meanwhile, Belka Mayor Ashok Karki said that they have drawn the attention of the federal and state governments.
Chief District Officer of Sunsari Indra Dev Yadav has also said that he is paying special attention to the residents of Koshi in Sunsari. Hence, the readiness of the security personnel is also commendable. Teams from Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, Nepal Army and others have been inspecting the potentially dangerous places of Koshi every day and alerting the locals. According to sources, security personnel are on standby for rescue if needed.
