A delay in the construction of an embankment at Kutiyakabar is giving sleepless nights to the residents of Mahakali Municipality-10 in Kanchanpur. With monsoon just around the corner, the locals are worried about possible floods and landslides in their settlement.

According to the locals, water flow in Jogbudha river is high even before the onset of the rainy season. Nara Bahadur Sunar, ward chairman of Mahakali Municipality-10, said that they are unable to transport construction materials due to the high water level in the river.

“India has been releasing the water of Sharada Canal into the Jogbudha river. That’s why the flow of water is unseasonably high,” Sunar said.

Villagers said the erosion started after India directed water from the Sharada Canal into the river. In the last monsoon, the river eroded its banks for one month, putting nearby farmlands and homes at risk.

According to the local administration, the river eroded around 700 metres of land in the last monsoon. Many families of the Kutiyakabar settlement were at risk because of the erosion.

The provincial government has allocated Rs 3.5 million to stop the erosion while the ward office has allocated Rs 200,000 for the construction of the embankment.

“The budget was released quite late. For now, we have to build a temporary embankment to protect the under-construction suspension bridge in Jogbudha,” said Sunar.

There are 35 families living in Kutiyakabar. Locals said that the entire settlement will likely be swept away in the upcoming monsoon floods if immediate measures are not taken.

“The ward chairman and the mayor should take initiatives to construct the embankment as soon as possible,” said Bimala Sunar, a resident of Kutiyakabar.

According to the locals, authorities have to construct around 7 metres long embankment to protect the settlement. A consumer committee led by Gagan Khatri, a local, has been formed to construct the embankment. The representatives of the committee said that they are waiting for water levels to recede to start the construction work.