Janaboli
Barahakshetra, July 27: Every monsoon, the water level of the Saptakoshi River, the largest river in Nepal, rises. And with this rise, all eyes in the area are on the 25:25 numbered spur. A spur is a permeable and temporary structure constructed on the curve of a river to protect the river bank from erosion.
The spur is located in the Rajabas area in Ward No. 9 of Barahakshetra Municipality in Sunsari district.
Nepali officials informed that, during the four months of monsoon, the Koshi Project Office receives multiple calls and messages regarding the update on the 25:25 spur from the Water Resources Department in Patna of Bihar, India.
“Compared to other spurs, water to the 25:25 spur is more. If this spur is to fall, India will sustain more damage than Nepal,” said Mohan Mandal, a local contractor who has been working in the embankment along the Saptakoshi River for years.
The spur is surrounded by sacks of sand, wire and stones.
Why are all eyes on the 25:25 spur?
The water from the 7-numbered spur (Karam River) reaches the 25:25 spur in Rajabas after hitting some parts of the Puthegauda and Tehrahaddi.
It is why the water’s force increases when it reaches the 25:25 spur, officials informed.
As a spur needs to receive the force of the water, the front part of a spur gets deeper. Currently, the area between the 26:00 and 25:57 spurs has been eroded by the river.
“The water flow along the 25:25, 25:57, 26:00 and 24:78 spurs is high,” said Gopal Rai, a local who has worked in the embankment sector for years.
According to Mandal, the 25:25 spur is maintained and repaired annually to prevent any major damage during the monsoon. “However, the water department in Patna is always keen to remain updated on the spur,” he added.
The Patna-based water department also calls the 25:25 spur a “red spur”.
Since the spur’s breakage could cause extreme damage, authorities and locals always keep their eyes on the 25:25 spur, locals in Barahakshetra informed. Meanwhile, Nepali officials informed that the spur is repaired not only by Indian authorities, but by several others as well.
“The water resource department repairs the spurs by opening bids annually. However, the work is neither inspected by the local nor the provincial government of Nepal,” said Mandal.
As a spur is mostly constructed in front of the embankment, a strong spur makes the embankment stronger, Rai said.
The Koshi Project looks after the embankments and water level from the Koshi Barrage to Barahakshetra. The distance between the barrage and Barahakshetra is 45 kilometres.
