Kathmandu, April 7

The Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development has said that the government will replace all existing tuins (cable contraptions) with suspension bridges by mid-July 2018.

The annual progress manual released by the MoFALD today showed the construction of six suspension bridges has been completed, and 113 are under construction. Similarly, the government is working on Detailed Project Report of 27 such bridges. Altogether, 146 suspension bridges will replace as many tuins in places where it is viable and necessary.

The government had on October 12, 2015 announced that all existing cable contraptions would be phased out within two years. An action plan has been formulated to meet the target.

Concerned local levels have already provided with the details of tuins in their responsibility areas. The details include the name of district, location of tuins, name of river or stream over which it is installed, its length, local population benefited from it, name of municipality or rural municipality and time taken to reach the nearest suspension bridge using it, among others.

Government statistics show there are around 350 tuins throughout the country. Tuins are used to cross rivers in the remote hills, said officials. Nepal is home to more than 6,000 rivers and streams and most of them lack bridges. Many people have lost their fingers while crossing rivers using tuins in the past.