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Indian engineers fighting against the fury of Kosi

SUNSARI (NEPAL): The Indian team of engineers that has started building two main spurs of the Kosi river are fighting against the river’s current. They say the actual work to rebuild the dam and spurs will begin only after October 15. The eastern embankment of the Kosi, known as 13.6 Spur, has experienced the maximum erosion. Rewati Raman Singh, engineer of the Bihar government’s Irrigation Department deputed at the Spur, told The Hindu that the force of water was “maximum” at that point.

“At the moment, we are just fighting against the Kosi,” he said. “Though the work is being done day and night, it’s hard to stop the water current,” he said.

“Every day, a minimum of 1,000 sandbags are kept at the spur to check the water flow. However, most of these are swept away by the river, Mr. Singh said.

A team of 15 engineers has been deployed by the Bihar government for the construction work. Two Nepali contractors and 700 Nepali workers are employed at the spurs for crating and bouldering. But even then, work has not been smooth, according to the locals.

Rabin Ghimire of the Union for Culture, Human and Environment Protection says the work is being done at “snail’s pace.” “If the work continues this way, there can be more loss of property,” he said.

Another engineer B. Yadav said that the real work of mending could take place only after October 15, when the water level was expected to decrease. “According to a survey, the water at the Koshi recedes after October 15. And we plan to finish the entire dam reconstruction by May 10, 2009.”

Mr. Yadav said that the embankment was “on danger” since 1993.

According to experts, the voluminous silt that has been deposited in the river is the main cause for the current floods. A report by the Action Aid says every year the Kosi carries 6,828 crore cusecs of water and 950 lakh cusecs of sand.

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