RAUTAHAT, SEPTEMBER 21

Six people were injured when a clash broke out between residents of Rautahat and Bara districts in connection with the bridge construction over Aruwa Khola that borders the two districts this morning.

The clash had erupted between locals of Mewa in Rautahat Maulapur Municipality and Rupauliya village of Adarsha Kotwal Rural Municipality, Bara after the dispute over bridge construction took an ugly turn.

Six persons were injured in the clash. They are undergoing treatment at a local health post, said local Nur Alam of Rupauliya, Bara.

The injured have received injuries on their heads.

A contract was awarded by the Road Division Office to construct a bridge over Aruwa Khola. However, locals of Rupauliya obstructed the bridge construction repeatedly. The dispute was settled in the presence of CDOs of both districts and agreement was reached to continue the bridge construction around four months ago. The construction was closed due to the monsoon.

Construction resumed yesterday.

Locals of Rupauliya gathered at the construction site and obstructed work. In retaliation, residents of Mewa congregated at the same site and demanded continuity of the work. This resulted in a clash between the two sides. “Police personnel from both districts were deployed and they brought the situation under control,” said Rautahat DSP Bharat Bahadur Shrestha.

Rupauliya residents have been protesting saying the bridge construction might change the river’s course and inundate their settlement.

“Construction work has been halted till an agreement is reached and locals from both sides have been sent home,” said DSP Shrestha.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on September 22, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.