Pokhara, July 29:

Flood triggered by the glacier melting in Lopra river has been affecting the movement of people on Jomsom-Kagbeni road in Mustang district due to the lack of a bridge over the river.

“Increasing water level in the river has been affecting us and trekkers heading to the Annapurna Circuit and Upper Mustang. Since the river lies along the popular trekking route, we have asked the Mustang DDC to construct a bridge over the river, but to no avail,” locals said.

However, Mustang LDO Narendra Raj Baral said the bridge could not be constructed, as no contractor came to register a bid for the tender invited by the DDC to construct the bridge.

“The contract to construct a temporary bridge has been given to local jeep drivers after a local consumers’ committee refused do carry out the work. The construction will start once the fund is released,” Baral added.

He also said that it would take millions of rupees to construct a permanent bridge over the river.

Meanwhile, CDO Pradip Raj Kandel has urged the Nepal Army and the police to take initiative to construct a bridge over the river.