Dhading, October 13

The Baburam Bhattarai-led government had declared it would replace all the wire bridges (tuins) with suspension bridges.

Five years have passed, but the decision is yet to be implemented.

While the five-year-old decision is yet to be executed, the first cabinet meeting led by newly elected Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli yesterday decided to replace 350 wire bridges with suspension bridges within two years.

Locals in Dhading feel that the Oli government’s decision too will meet the same fate as the decision of the earlier government.

To put the Baburam Bhattarai-led government’s decision into practice, Dhading DDC had published a policy for removal of all the cable wires over the Trishuli River for building suspension bridges within five years.

Hari Prasad Nepal from Kumpur said that work on the proposal approved by the 22nd DDC council meeting was yet to begin.

As per the then government’s decision and DDC policy, a wire bridge was supposed to be replaced with suspension bridge that connects Kumpur VDC’s Kharamtar with Gajuri VDC’s Chambas by now. However, work is yet to commence.

A budget of Rs 12 million was allocated to begin the process of building the bridge through the budget of the current fiscal. DDC said that of the total amount, Rs 3 million was provided by the Swiss government.

As many as five persons disappeared when the wire bridge over the Trishuli snapped six years ago. The wire bridge used to connect Chainghat of Gorkha with Charaundi of Dhading.

Locals are forced to use perilous cable wire bridges at many places over the Trishuli River for want of suspension bridges.

Bhoj Bahadur Thakuri from Kalleri in Dhading said that locals had stopped travelling by cable wire after a youth died in the Trishuli River four months ago. He had fallen into the water while crossing the river by the cable wire.