Nawalparasi, May 12: Construction of embankments has been intensified in Susta Rural Municipality-5 of Nawalparasi to protect settlements from annual flooding caused by the Narayani River.
The Irrigation and Water Resources Management Project in Bharatpur is carrying out river control works using a low-cost RCC-based “Porcupine” technology across a nearly 900-metre stretch east of the Susta bridge. According to project chief Dr. Narayan Prasad Subedi, the initiative was launched after repeated flooding increasingly threatened the Susta settlement.
Porcupine technology is considered an effective and affordable method for riverbank protection and flood control. The system uses triangular structures made by joining reinforced concrete pillars with nuts and bolts to divert river flow and reduce erosion.
Project engineer Bel Bahadur BK said six cement poles measuring three to five metres in length are assembled into triangular frames and covered with iron mesh. The structures are installed in three layers up to 15 metres inside the river and six metres deep.
“The structures trap trees, grass and debris carried by the river, helping alter the river’s flow,” he said. Engineer BK said the method was chosen because conventional techniques such as gabion walls are ineffective in the deep river section.
Two construction companies have been contracted for the project. KD Construction of Pokhara received a Rs. 46.6 million contract for the lower section, while Shivam Construction JV Pvt Ltd of Chitwan secured a Rs. 71.7 million contract for the upper section.
The work began on March 15, 2026, and is scheduled for completion by July 6, 2026. Dr. Subedi said rapid progress had been made despite limited time. “Our technical staff have been working around the clock,” he said. The first phase focuses on the most vulnerable areas of Susta, where severe erosion last year threatened the historic settlement.
Stone walls are also being built behind the Porcupine structures to strengthen the embankment. The project estimates around 10,000 cubic metres of stones will be needed. However, collecting stones has become a major challenge due to the sandy banks of the Narayani River. Workers must travel several kilometres to gather stones manually and transport them by tractor and boat.
Engineer BK said transportation has been difficult because tractors cannot cross the bridge and India has not allowed heavy vehicles to pass through its territory. During last year’s monsoon, locals spent nights filling sandbags to prevent floodwaters from entering the settlement.
Following concerns raised by residents and then Minister for Physical Infrastructure Kulman Ghising, the federal government allocated a budget and initiated the embankment project.
Susta, surrounded by the Narayani River on three sides and India on the other, remains highly vulnerable to floods. Around 3,200 people from nearly 350 households live in the area. #Nepal
