Key Takeways:

• Canopy bridges planned in two forest sections of the highway
• Officials say monkeys crossing the highway have contributed to accidents
• Each bridge is expected to cost less than Rs 500,000
• Project also includes measures to support biodiversity and safer animal movement

KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 4 Two more overhead canopy bridges are being prepared along forest sections of the Narayanghat-Butwal road to allow monkeys to cross the expanded highway safely and help reduce wildlife-vehicle accidents. The bridges will be constructed in the forest between Kawasoti and Lakah and another forest stretch between Chormara and Arunkhola, according to Shiv Khanal, information officer of the eastern section of the Narayanghat-Butwal Road Expansion Project. Khanal said the movement of monkeys from the hills towards the Tarai has increased their crossings on the highway, raising the risk of accidents. 'Accidents have been increasing as monkeys have started coming towards the Tarai from the hilly areas,' Khanal said. 'People have also died in accidents caused when monkeys cross the highway, so the bridge is being constructed to reduce such accidents.' The Narayanghat-Butwal section of the East-West Highway has been expanded to four lanes in line with Asian Highway standards. One overhead canopy bridge has already been constructed in the Nawalparasi (Bardaghat-Susta East) section of the East-West Highway. The bridge was built in the Pitaunji forest of Gaindakot-10. Monkeys have occasionally been seen using the existing canopy bridge, Khanal said, but it is too early to assess its effectiveness. 'It is not yet time to assess the effectiveness of the overhead canopy bridge,' he said. 'An environment needs to be created for monkeys and other animals to cross through the bridge, and in the initial days, they need to be attracted by placing fruits there. We are also preparing for that.' The project plans to place fruits on the completed canopy bridge for some time to encourage monkeys to use the structure. Khanal said each overhead canopy bridge can be constructed for less than Rs 500,000, making it a relatively low-cost measure to reduce accidents and associated losses in forest sections of the major highway. The canopy bridge already built in Gaindakot under the project's biodiversity conservation and promotion programme is 34 metres long and four feet wide, spanning above the highway. The structure is intended particularly to help monkeys cross the busy highway safely while maintaining their natural movement between forest areas. Khanal said the construction of canopy bridges is part of broader efforts to facilitate wildlife movement, conserve biodiversity, reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and make road infrastructure more environmentally friendly. The road expansion project has also undertaken other biodiversity-related measures, including constructing water ponds inside forests along the highway and providing necessary support for controlling poaching. (With inputs from RSS)