By Amar Raj Naharki
Tanahu, Jan.1: Construction of a concrete bridge connecting two local levels of Tanahun has not completed even six years after works on it began.
The bridge over the Seti River, connecting Dobhan of Shuklagandaki Municipality-7 and Bhagar of Bhimad Municipality-8, has been abandoned for six years.

The contract agreement was signed with Chitwan-based Adventure Construction Private Limited on July 15, 2015 to complete by July 2018. After the work was not completed within the stipulated time, the deadline was extended and even half of the construction was not done in the second extension.

The third term was extended until February 26, 2021. Still no progress was made. The term of the fourth extension expired on August 25, 2021, but the work is still incomplete. Only three pillars have been erected at the construction site. There are two pillars on the river bank and one in the middle of the rivers.
The fourth pillar is yet to be built in the middle of the river. Last winter, the foundation was laid to lift the fourth pillar. Work stopped when the river overflowed.

According to Damauli's Road Division Office, the deadline has been extended for the fifth time until mid-March, 2022.
Laxmi KC, Chief Division Engineer at Road Division Office, Damauli, informed that the deadline has been extended till March as per the government's decision to extend the project under construction for six months.
Locals of Bhimad Municipality of Tanahun, Shuklagandaki and Harinas of Syangja have been affected due to delay in the construction of the bridge.

Prem Bahadur Thapa of Bhagar said that the transport service gets affected during the rainy season due to lack of bridge.
He informed that two-wheelers were crossing the suspension bridge risking their life, Thapa said.
Buddhi Man Shrestha, Ward Chairman of Municipality-8, said no heed was paid to complete the bridge despite the repeated warning from public.

Along with the construction company, the Bridge Division under the Road Department has also been blamed for the delay in the bridge construction. Without analysing the geographical situation, the branch office initially designed the bridge at the open foundation.
The design was changed after the work of two pillars of the bridge was completed and water flow increased while placing the pillars in the middle of the river. The division office had also delayed the design change.
Road Division Damauli admitted that work on the design change of the bridge has been halted for almost a year and a half.

The bridge is now being built at Payal Foundation by changing the design. But the construction work is moving at a snail pace.
The contract for the construction, excluding VAT, has been signed at Rs 88.05 million. Of it, Rs. 54.24 million has already been paid to the construction company.
The federal government has allocated Rs. 10 million for the construction of the bridge this year, according to the Road Division Office.