Amrit Bhandari
With the start of monsoon showers fears and worries of the people residing by waterfront areas begin to increase. The incessant heavy rainfall panics the residents in those areas especially when the downpour leads to massive floods leaving the residents in a state of despair. The rainy season is a curse to the panic-stricken denizens living in the bank of or nearby the river. Every year the settlements nearby the rivers suffer from significant loss of their property and physical displacement caused by the unprecedented level of flood. Furthermore, the flood claims the lives of people, ravages their farmland and other property leaving a number of people homeless. While settlements in majority of riverfront areas across the country continue to suffer from monsoon-led natural disasters, a community residing nearby the Babai River in Bardiya District, Balapur now is beginning to breathe with a sigh of relief after the installation of Early Warning System in their village. Balapur village touches Babai River in three directions and the river flows through approximately one and half kilometer away from the village. During the rainy season, the swelling river would enter into the Balapur from Shanti and Babai settlements. "It was very difficult to live in this village. It was in 2052 BS the flood drowned my three goats, cows and the whole food stored at my home. The flood also washed away my paddy plantation. I could not even protect documents important to me and materials kept at my home. The whole village was waterlogged," says Tihar Bahadur Chaudhary, Balapur village.
The swelling Babai River again invaded Balapur in 2063 BS and swept away the home of Sabit Kumar Chaudhary. His four goats including food grain and other physical properties were drowned. "I could save nothing," says helpless Sabit Kumar in retrospect," We were hapless." Manuwa Chaudhary reminisces the days when everything he owned was inhaled by water in front of his eyes in 2052. The family was compelled to spend several days eating beaten rice only. He is the sole breadwinner in the eight-membered family. "When rainfall would start, we would be panic and distress. No one could sleep at night with ease," Manuwas recalls those heartbroken memories.
People in Balapur were compelled to live in this trouble for a long time. However, when Practical Action with financial support of the ECHO's disaster preparedness programme (DIPECHO) installed Early Warning System in this village, people living here have reasons to cheer up. People living in the poverty have received relief from the project. The project has also provided equipment and accessories such as sirens, mikes, jackets, boats and strings for handling emergency in case of flood.
The department of hydrology and meteorology (DHM) under the Ministry of Science and Technology has established a water gauge reader (an equipment to scale the water level) in upper station of Babai at Chepang. The staff working for DHM positioned in the upper station observes the water level. If they find the water level rising to a dangerous line, they quickly inform to the police administration, media, and rescue officials and also to the communities. Practical Action has facilitated the communities to build a good rapport with DHM to channelise the information as quickly as possible so that the flood could cause limited harm. The communities are informed about the flood through the two sirens installed in Babai village.
After the installation of this System, Balapur dwellers get information of flood before it enters into the village. The System also allows the residents to assemble their important documents and other properties and move swiftly to the safe place. No sooner the flood enters into the village; people are informed by ringing the sirens. Additionally, surrounding communities have formed disaster management committee in the local level. The committee warns villagers disseminating information about the flow of flood using mikes. The committee also prioritises pregnant women, disable people, children in the first place. The committee members are trained in flood awareness and preparedness procedures. Moreover, there is a separate rescue unit under disaster management committee, responsible for immediate rescue operations and other locally developed procedures such as pulling the people drowned in the water using strings and boats.
The system is solely installed with full participation of communities and therefore the community owns the system and maintains it and upkeep the safe custody of equipment and accessories. Interestingly, the communities are able to operate the System on their own as the project has already built their capacity with various training and practices.
Sitapati Tharu says," If the observer in the upper station finds the water level rising to a crucial level, we can hear the loud sirens in the village. If the siren rings for the first time, we become alert and start packing up the important documents, property and foods and prepare for the makeshift to the protected places. If we again hear the sound of the siren we then immediately move to the safe places." The Balapur dwellers are delighted after the installation of this system that their lives are not at stake and they have emergency handling procedure in place. Such security procedures not only help them safe their lives but also to protect their belongings. The disaster management committee upon notice of the second siren sounds prepares shifting the pregnant women, disables people and children to the safe areas. As soon as villagers hear the third round of siren sounds, all of them run away surging their livestock on and carrying other materials to the safe places.
Thanks to the project, mitigation infrastructure such as culverts and roads are in place to allow people move quickly during flood. The project also organises mock drill practices to build capacity of communities. Mock drill is a rehearsal to make communities alert on how should be prepared at the time of flood.
Sitapati Tharu tells about the System," Before this system was installed, flood water would enter into our village without our notice and damage our lives. We would lose everything we had. Thanks to the support, our life has drastically changed after the installation of flood monitoring system in our area- we have early notice at our disposal. We are now able to prevent the damages and live a more worry free life.” The project also constructed a bio-dike to protect the farmlands of Babai villagers. A robust dam is constructed with environment friendly measures and planted bamboos trees. The dam has protected the farmland where villagers produce vegetables and other crops for their subsistence and incomes.
The flood entered into the Balapur in 2052 and 2063 damaging everything and causing a great loss, both physically and financially. People living here had great shortage of drinking water. They were compelled to drink contaminated water; many suffered from diarrhea. Villagers painfully recollect the bygone days and loss of their property. Manuwa Tharu vividly yet harrowingly reminisces," In 2052 when flood entered into our village I carried my child on my shoulder and fled the area. To make things worse, I was stumbled at a stone and both of us nearly lost our lives. The life was very challenging and miserable."
It is learnt and observed that The Early Warning System installed in the Balapur, Bardiya has been a proven and highly effective guard against floods and flood-led natural disasters. If the system is promoted by the state in the flood prone areas across the country, settlements close to riverfront areas will not face untimely death and loss of property.
The author works at Practical Action Nepal Office.
abamritofficial@gmail.com
