Wednesday, 22 January, 2025
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Newly constructed bridge eases movement in Jhapa



newly-constructed-bridge-eases-movement-in-jhapa

By Tikaram Upreti
Jhapa, Jan. 31: A decade ago, Lakhan Tudu, a resident from Ward 1 of Kamal Rural Municipality in Jhapa, had gone to the market in Gauradaha bazaar to buy some daily goods. Like many other villagers, Tudu had to cross the Kishne River to reach Gauradaha, which was the nearest market for them.
After buying the goods, Tudu was on his way back home but he couldn’t cross the river. Tudu was swept away by a flood and his whereabouts have been unknown for the past 10 years.
“It was the monsoon season when Tudu was swept away. The water level had risen but since it was the only way home, Tudu tried to cross the river. The flood swept him away,” said Surendra Bhandari, a local who saw Tudu being swept away by the flood.
Like Tudu, villagers had to either cross the river or walk five kilometers around to reach Gauradaha.
According to Bhandari, the villagers in collaboration with security agencies, searched for Tudu but he was nowhere to be found.
The case of Tudu is not the only one which has occurred in Jhapa over the years. Many people, including children and elders, have been swept away by the river; some were found alive while some dead.
“It is not only people, but also many cattle have also been swept away by the river. Crossing the Kishne River, which flows between Ward 1 of Kamal Rural Municipality and Ward 1 of Gauradaha Municipality, was a grave risk,” said Suman Soren, a local from Kamal Rural Municipality.
Other than Kishne River, people of Jhapa had been facing similar problem in different other rivers as well.
However, the problem is now almost solved as the government has prioritised construction of bridges across Jhapa. The projects were initiated following Prime Minister KP Oli’s assurance of constructing bridges in Jhapa during his election campaign.
The authorities had planned the construction of 37 bridges in Jhapa, among which 25 have already come into operation while 12 are under-construction.
“The remaining bridges will come into operation within this fiscal year. The budget for the construction of 37 bridges is Rs. 198,748,000,” said Senior Division Engineer Ramesh Kumar Shrestha of Infrastructure Development Office, Jhapa.
Similarly, among the 37 bridges, 30 are being constructed under the central government’s plan while seven are being constructed by the Province 1 government. The bridges are either suspension or Bailey bridges.
The bridges are strong enough for three-wheelers such as auto-rickshaw and city-safari to ply following which the villagers are happy as they now don’t need to worry about crossing the rivers.
Children now easily reach their schools and locals return home safely from the market. Authorities have directed to complete the remaining bridges at the earliest so the people can avail of the service and be safe.