Rautahat, August 25

One-and-a-half months have passed since a diversion of an under-construction bridge at Pathara of Rajdevi Municipality, Rautahat district, along the Gaur-Gangapipara-Samanpur road section was swept away by the flood. Construction of the diversion, however, is nowhere in sight forcing passengers to prepare for a perilous journey.

Devastating floods on July 11 and 12 had washed away the diversion. Ever since the diversion was swept away, cyclists, motorcycle riders and pedestrians are compelled to travel to Rautahat district headquarters Gaur crossing the broken

diversion.

Four-wheelers and small vehicles ply to the headquarters via the Gandak canal route, some seven kilometres away from the diversion. Locals continue to suffer but the authority concerned has yet to take initiative to construct the diversion, bemoaned Baidhnath Sahani, a local.

The non-construction of the diversion road has adversely affected the locals of Durga Bhagawati Rural Municipality, Madhavnarayan Municipality and Gadhimai Municipality.

Durga Bhagawati Rural Municipality Ward No 3 Chair Dharmendra Kumar Jha complained that their repeated pleas to construct the diversion had fallen on deaf ears of the Chandrapur Road Division Office, whose Chief Daroga Sah said his office lacked budget for the work and advised local levels to construct the diversion on their own.