The Babai Irrigation Project has started construction of canals by burying the natural river during the rainy season. The project has started to build a canal by bridging the Sarju River located in Gularia Municipality-7. During the rainy season, damming of the river has been started to build embankment (retaining wall).
Immediately after the construction of the retaining wall, the canal construction project is being prepared . During the construction of the retaining wall, the Sarju river has been buried with the soil dug from the river banks. When the soil reaches the river, even the water that flows during the rainy season cannot be drained.
Since there is no place for water to flow in the river, there is a high risk of inundation of Tapra slum dwellers and new settlements across Gulria Municipality-8 when there is heavy rain. Tapra settlement located in Gulria-8 was inundated by the flood of 2071 .
The residents of Tapra were rescued by army helicopters and boats as there was no place to escape due to the sudden flood. Houses and belongings of the settlement were swept away in the said flood. In 2074, due to the collapse of the Babai river dam in Gulria-2 Sangam settlement, Tapra settlement was completely submerged for the second time due to the flood in Sarju river.
District Disaster Management Committee estimates that 83,000 more population of riverside settlements may be affected by floods this year. A public representative of Gularia said that the Babai irrigation project is encroaching on the natural river and building canals. "For taking a canal from someone's land, the project has to pay the price of the land," he said. Local Urmila Gupta said that there is a risk of flooding in Gulria village, Chaugurji along with Tapra. "During the rainy season, there is a possibility of heavy rain at any time, mud has been piled up on the path of the Sarju river," she said. Local Ramesh Yadav has alleged that after starting the construction work, they tried to drown the surrounding settlements by pouring mud into the river.
Director of Babai Irrigation Project Sushilchandra Devkota said that the retaining wall construction is going on to build a canal from the banks of Sarju River located in Gularia Municipality-7. "Currently, a retaining wall is being constructed at 84 meters," he said, "If the soil dumped in the river is not removed, the water will splash and the soil will also flow away. I will go to the field and immediately remove the soil dumped in the river."
According to Director Devkota, a contract has been awarded for 1 billion 34 crore rupees for the construction of retaining wall, embankment with wire mesh and 9 and a half kilometers of main and other auxiliary canals.
