BAJURA, APRIL 11
People of wards 1, 2, and 3 in Himali Rural Municipality, Bajura, are risking their lives as they are compelled to use suspension bridges that are in dire need of repair.
In the last few years, they saw change in the government, but no one paid attention to the need to repair these bridges. Locals said that the government was least bothered about repairing the suspension bridge at Ward No 1 in the rural municipality.
The bridge has been in dilapidated condition for years.
Parbardhan Budha, 27, a local, said that the bridge over the Bichhayan River was in sorry state. He said many heads of government and non-government offices had visited the spot for construction of a new bridge, but nothing happened.
The locals change the wooden planks every three to four years. They are using the bridges to cross the river risking their lives. Most of the bridges in the rural municipality are made of wood.
The bridges in some places have even collapsed halting people's movement. The villagers face problems during the monsoon for lack of bridge. The students miss their classes during the rainy season due to lack of bridge.
The locals accused the government of ignoring their requests to build motorable bridges.
The rivers are big and difficult to cross even in the winter.
The locals added that they crossed the rivers with the help of rope.
Ward No 3 ward Chair Jagat Bahadur Lama said that the locals used rope to pull the animals to cross the rivers. He said that they had been facing problems crossing the river as there was no bridge.
Lal Kunwar, an elderly person, said that as many as seven persons had gone missing while crossing the river till date. Many livestock also drowned in the river. It has been years that the locals have been requesting for a bridge, but the local government is apathetic.
A version of this article appears in the print on April 12, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
