DAMAULI, JULY 10

An alternative arrangement has been made in Chhabdikhola in Tanahun after floods swept away a bridge here. Transportation on Buddhasingh Road was disrupted after floods in the river swept away a concrete motorable bridge linking wards 1 and 13 of Byas Municipality about 10 days ago.

According to Chhabdi Doghan Bailey Bridge Construction Committee Chairperson Sahabir Uchai, transportation will resume from tomorrow on the road. 'Since installation of hume pipe is almost finished, transportation will resume from tomorrow for some time,' said Uchai. Byas Municipality's sub-engineer Hari Prasad Tiwari said the temporary provision was meant to be there until a bailey bridge was constructed there.

Besides Ward 1 Chair of Byas Municipality Kharsingh Darai and Ward 13 Chairman Lekh Bahadur Rana, ward members and local social activists were actively involved in developing the temporary provision across the river. The hume pipe installation, along with gabion walls, is said to have cost over Rs one million. 'As we have installed the hume pipe by constructing gabion and returning wall, the temporary provision won't be easily swept away by floods,' said municipality engineer Rochak Chhetri, the temporary crossing was built by using heavy equipment.

The old bridge over the river that was swept away was built 18 years ago with investment of 4.5 million rupees of Byas Municipality. 'Ever since the bridge was swept away, there were lots of problem for people, especially farmers, who wanted to take their produce to the market,' said local Yam Bahadur Ale.

Around two dozen vehicles, large and small, used to ply the bridge every day.

A version of this article appears in the print on July 11 2021, of The Himalayan Times.