Rapti River erosion threatens 37-crore bridge access road in Shravasti district

The Rapti River's shifting water levels are threatening critical infrastructure in Shravasti district as erosion puts a bridge access road at severe risk amid flash floods in neighboring Nepal. While water levels at Rapti Barrage have receded below the danger mark, offering some relief to authorities, the river has risen near Kusum Barrage, triggering dangerous erosion along the banks.

The most acute crisis is unfolding at Siswara Ghat on the Gilaula-Bhinga route, where the powerful current is directly attacking the approach road to a two-lane bridge built under the NABARD scheme at a cost of approximately 37.52 crore rupees. If this access road is washed away, it will completely cut off movement for hundreds of residents who depend on the crossing for daily connectivity.

The Bridge Corporation has been attempting makeshift protection measures using bricks, stones, bamboo poles, and sandbags to halt the erosion, but the river's strong flow is simply sweeping these temporary barriers away. The inadequacy of these emergency interventions underscores the urgent need for permanent solutions.

Worried villagers have appealed to Shravasti District Magistrate Annapurna Garg to take immediate concrete action and implement lasting protective works. The district administration has stated that while a sudden major surge in water levels is not expected at present, an alert system is fully operational to handle any emergency. However, the unpredictable nature of the river, influenced by conditions upstream in Nepal, continues to keep authorities and residents on edge as they watch the vital infrastructure face mounting threat from relentless erosion.