Can Nepal’s Engineers Control the Rivers Before They Control Us?

Namaste my dear students,

Today I want to talk about something very important — not just for engineers like us, but for every Nepali citizen. You all know that Nepal is a land of rivers. From the big rivers like Koshi, Gandaki, and Karnali to the small streams flowing from our hills, we are blessed with water. But like the old Nepali saying goes, "A lot of anything can become a problem too." Water is life, but uncontrolled rivers can also destroy life.

So, let’s ask the big question:
Can Nepal’s engineers control the rivers before they control us?

Let’s discuss this slowly, from different angles — technical, practical, and emotional too.

1. Rivers: A Blessing and a Curse

Nepal is the second richest country in water resources after Brazil. That sounds amazing, right? But it also means we have big responsibility. Our rivers bring water, energy, and livelihood. At the same time, they bring floods, landslides, erosion, and destruction.

In monsoon season, thousands of people lose their homes, bridges are swept away, and farmlands are buried under mud. And we all know, this is not a new problem — it happens almost every year.

So the rivers are not our enemies, but if we don’t manage them properly, they won’t stay our friends either.

2. What Does “Controlling Rivers” Actually Mean?

Now you may ask — what does it mean to “control” rivers? Can we stop them? No, we cannot stop nature. But we can guide it.

Controlling rivers means:

  • Managing their flow so that floodwater does not enter cities and villages
  • Protecting riverbanks with proper embankments or bioengineering
  • Making safe bridges and culverts
  • Ensuring floodwater has a proper way to go without damaging property
  • Planning irrigation systems wisely, not just randomly digging canals
  • Storing water during dry season and managing it in rainy season

In other words, we don’t fight rivers — we engineer solutions to live safely with them.

3. Why Engineers Are Key to River Management

As future engineers, you have a major role. When people say “the river destroyed our house,” it often means that the river was not guided properly — maybe no embankment, or a poorly designed culvert, or even illegal settlement near riverbanks.

So what do we do?

  • Survey and study the river behavior: Every river behaves differently in different seasons.
  • Design flood protection works: Like gabion walls, check dams, spurs, levees, and so on.
  • Use modern tools: Hydrological models, flood simulations, GIS mapping.
  • Work with local people: No project works without community involvement.
  • Avoid short-cuts: Cheap work or corruption leads to failure during monsoon.

Remember the proverb: “Jasto beej, testo ropai.” If we don’t plan properly, the results will also be poor.

4. Real Examples from Nepal

Let’s take some real examples:

a. Koshi River (Eastern Nepal)

The Koshi River is known as the "Sorrow of Bihar" because of massive floods in India. But the problem starts from here — Nepal. The embankments are old and sometimes break during floods. The Koshi Barrage and its embankments are under pressure every monsoon. Without proper maintenance, even a small leak can destroy entire districts.

b. Babai Flood (Mid-West)

A few years ago, unexpected rain caused the Babai River to flood and destroy roads, bridges, and many homes. Why? Because the drainage was not designed for such intense rainfall.

c. Melamchi Disaster (Sindhupalchok)

Melamchi was a major water supply project, but floods and landslides damaged the headworks badly. Nature is powerful, but bad design and poor risk assessment made the damage worse.

These are just a few examples where we see how civil engineering and river science are directly connected to public safety.

5. What Are We Doing Now?

The government, NGOs, INGOs, and even international donors are working on flood control. Here are some efforts:

  • People-Centered Early Warning Systems in Terai regions
  • Bioengineering works like bamboo check dams, vetiver grass plantations
  • Hydrological Stations across Nepal to monitor river flow
  • Large embankment and river training works under the Department of Water Resources and Irrigation

But still, there are gaps. Sometimes the designs are made from old data, sometimes the contractors don’t follow the specs, and sometimes the projects stop due to lack of funds or politics.

So again, the problem is not just technical — it's also social and administrative.

6. What Should We Do Differently?

Here’s what I want you, as students and future engineers, to think about:

a. Local Context is Key

Every river, every village, every rainfall pattern is different. Don’t just copy-paste designs. Tailor the solution to the location.

b. Respect Nature

No engineering is perfect. Always have a “safe failure” design in mind. Assume worst-case scenarios.

c. Integrate Old Knowledge

Nepali villagers have lived near rivers for centuries. Their knowledge is valuable. Combine traditional wisdom with modern engineering.

d. Work Beyond the Drawing Board

Engineering is not just sitting with AutoCAD and Excel. Go to the field. Talk to people. See how nature behaves.

e. Say No to Corruption

Even the best design fails if poor materials are used or work is left incomplete. Be honest. Build strong.

There’s a Nepali proverb: “Kukurle bokeko jasto ghar, badi le bokchha.” Weak structures are always in danger — especially from water.

7. The Climate Change Factor

And let’s not forget — climate change is making things worse.

  • Monsoons are becoming unpredictable
  • Rainfall is more intense in short time
  • Glacial lakes are increasing, and the threat of GLOFs (Glacial Lake Outburst Floods) is real

So future river control is not just about civil engineering, but about climate-smart engineering. Engineers must be ready for changing river behavior and extreme weather events.

8. Final Thoughts: A Call to Action

Dear students, the rivers are talking to us — every year, every monsoon. The floods, erosion, destruction — all are messages. The question is, are we listening?

We cannot control the rivers fully, and we should not try to. But we must guide them, respect them, and prepare ourselves.

As engineers, your job is not just to build — it is to protect, to serve, and to plan for the future.

“Birsiyeko kura bhanera haasnu hudaina, badi le sekayeko manis kabhi bhuldaicha?”
(You cannot laugh at forgotten lessons — those who have been through floods never forget.)

Let us not wait for another disaster to remind us of our responsibility.

Let’s be the generation of engineers who finally say —
Yes, we can guide our rivers before they guide us into disaster.

Thank you.


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