By Nayak Paudel
Kathmandu, Mar. 3: It was in June 2019 when the authorities barred vehicular movement over a newly-constructed bridge over the Bishnumati River in Teku, in Kathmandu. The restriction came after the Department of Roads found that the 62-metre-long bridge didn’t meet quality standards.
Since then, the bridge, which was expected to ease traffic congestion, has become a parking space for vehicles.
“Since we spotted an irregularity in the middle of the bridge, we asked the contractor to repair it. They did repair, but declined to accept their mistake. To our surprise, they filed a case in the court, which is sub judice,” said Er. Arjun Jung Thapa, director general at the Department of Roads.
Even the Development and Technology Committee under the Federal Parliament had directed the government to ask the contractor to repair the bridge, but it was never carried out by the contractor. Then the authorities scrapped the contract altogether.
According to the department, the case filed by the contractor -- Pappu Construction -- which is well-known for its sluggish and shoddy construction works, has kept them from taking further action towards constructing the bridge. “Had the case been settled, we would have repaired the bridge by ourselves,” said Thapa.
In addition to the Teku Bridge, Pappu Construction has been battling several other legal cases.
With the aim of easing gridlocks in the Capital, the government started construction of bridges, designed in an arch structure, over Rudramati River in Bijuli Bazaar, along Maitighar-Baneshwor section, and Bagmati River in Tinkune, along Baneshwor-Koteshwor section, since December 2014.
While the government awarded the contract for the former to JAYEE Construction Pvt. Ltd., which has completed the construction of two bridges over the Rudramati River, Pappu Construction had won the contract for the latter.
However, no such bridge has been constructed over Bagmati River to date. In 2019, the Kathmandu Valley Road Expansion Project directed Pappu Construction to dismantle and rebuild the 85-metre-long bridge over Bagmati River citing substandard work.
“Pappu Construction dismantled the foundation following the directive but it delayed the other work, which was terminated at the end. Then the notorious construction company, seeking to overturn that decision, filed a case in the court against the termination, which is why the construction of bridge in Tinkune over Bagmati River is yet to see light of the day,” Thapa told The Rising Nepal.
“As soon as the legal battle over any of the two bridges concludes, we will begin the repair and construction work to bring it into operation at the earliest,” said Thapa.