National
Bulldozers raise risk of landslides in hilly areas
The April 25 earthquake and series of aftershocks have caused landslips and huge cracks in the land surface in many parts of Duragaun VDC.Tika Prasad Bhatta
The government, however, has been so insensitive as to bulldoze roads through the hills, thereby only increasing the risk of landslide in the settlements during the monsoon.
Duragaun is just a case in point. Heavy bulldozers are being used to build roads even in places where there is high risk of landslide. Experts have advised that using bulldozers in such areas should be avoided at all cost.
Two years ago, the District Development Committee (DDC) had restricted the use of bulldozers during road construction.
The DDC had stated that bulldozers could only be used where human force alone could not complete the work. And even in that situation, as per DDC, bulldozers can be used only after obtaining necessary recommendation from technical experts.
Despite objections from many quarters, bulldozers are still being used in different parts of the district, including Campa, Duragaun, Saipu, Manthai, Ghaikhura, Mugitara, Chilaune Tiwari, Nawalpur Bolangbolang and Gupteshwor.
Use of bulldozers to dig roads have only increased the threat of landslide in hilly areas where the soil has already become weak after the devastating earthquake of April 25 and its numerous aftershocks.
According Ramchandra Biyogi, a civil society leader, this is not an appropriate time to use heavy machines at places where the land has already been weakened by the quake.
“This is not the right time to use the menacing machine in the hills and slopes that have already been weakened by the quake. Such acts only increases the risk of landslides,” said Biyogi.
Furthermore, the practice of building roads in a haphazard manner using all kinds of heavy machines and equipment with the onset of monsoon in order to spend the development budget before the yearender has been going on for a long time not only in the district, but across the country.
CPN-UML leader Anand Shrestha is against the use of bulldozers to dig roads in the post earthquake scenario.
“Working in haste to use up the allocated budget without proper planning is a complete waste of time and resources,” said Shrestha, adding that weakening the places which have already developed cracks just for the sake of finishing the allocated budget and leaving people at risk of landslide is foolish. “The wise thing would be to transfer that money to rehabilitate the victims of earthquake,” he advised.