Kathmandu. Six months after the collapse of the Dumkibas bridge in East Nawalparasi along the East-West Highway, drivers and passengers have been suffering as the government has not presented an alternative.
On Poush 26 of last year, the longest bridge in East Nawalparasi, the Binayi Khola bridge, was again collapsed due to an overloaded Indian freight lorry. After the bridge collapsed, traffic was resumed by creating a diversion from the north of the bridge. However, within a few weeks, heavy rains washed away the diversion, disrupting traffic and transportation services on the East-West Highway.
Although an alternative route to the diversion was used until the bridge was operational, the problem arose when locals did not allow freight trucks to ply. Krishna Bahadur Shrestha, who has been driving a truck with the number Na 5 Kha 7411 on the Bhairahawa-Kathmandu route, has been in Bardaghat for the past 4 days.
He reached Bardaghat in West Nawalparasi via the East-West Highway from Bhairahawa on Asar 21 and has been forced to spend days and nights on the road since 4. He has been spending time on the road after the police stopped him saying that the diversion of Dumkibas had been washed away by the flood.
He lamented that the administration did not listen to him even though he had requested it.
He said, ‘It has been 4 days since we came to this place. It has been 4 days since we loaded from Birgunj on the 1st and came to this place via Bhairahawa. After 4 days of crossing the Dumkibas, we stood up and sat down. Today is 10 days. How much sorrow, how much happiness, how much heat we must have experienced in 10 days. We told the administration, but the administration did not listen. Today is 4 days since the sun has set. If the administration wanted, all the bridges could have been built and movement could have been allowed. If the administration had told the village, all the vehicles could have crossed.’
Another truck driver, Buddhisagar Neupane, who was traveling from Bhairahawa to Kathmandu, has also been stuck at Bardaghat for 4 days. Neupane, the driver of truck number Na 6 Kha 3284, expressed his anger saying that the government has not listened to the people’s suffering. He complained that even if there is a small mistake, the transport driver has to pay a tip and go hungry.
He also said that when he had to stop on the road for four days, his fellow drivers got infected with dengue from mosquito bites and had to be admitted to the hospital.
He said, ‘I blame the ministers above. Don’t the ministers know this? Haven’t the ministers seen this? Is it only by raising the issue in Parliament? The country is prosperous because of the transport drivers. If there is a small mistake here, the transport driver has to pay a tip. They have to go hungry. Some drivers have already contracted dengue. Some drivers have fallen ill. It’s so hot. Even the little money I had has run out. Look, how difficult it is.’
Subodh Paswan, a truck driver carrying potatoes and onions in truck number Na 6 Kha 3699, has also been stuck at Bardaghat for 4 days. Not only is he angry with the government for having to spend 4 days at Bardaghat in the scorching heat, he is also angry when the police stopped him saying there was no order from above. He said that he was not allowed to travel by ten-wheeled buses.
He complained that he could not even sleep because the potatoes and onions in the truck were rotting and smelling, and said, ‘It has been 4 days since I came from Bhairahawa with potatoes and onions loaded. They allow vehicles up to ten wheels, buses allow them. They do not allow our 12 wheels. When asked by the police, they say they do not know anything, they say there is no order from above. We have 22 vehicles carrying potatoes and onions. Everything is rotting. I can’t sleep because of the stench.’
Another truck driver, Gyan Bahadur Karki, who was stopped at Bardaghat, complained that he had suffered beyond imagination. He objected that this was the government’s extreme negligence. He said that hundreds of drivers and ordinary people like him had to suffer because the government was not showing any care.
He said, ‘It is suffering beyond imagination. This is the government’s extreme negligence. Even though one side of the other bridge was opened, it was seen that it should have been built with care.’ Hundreds of drivers like them are now spending day and night on the road. He has had to suffer by keeping hundreds of trucks on the road.
Some vehicles have even been forced to go from Butwal to Kathmandu via Palpa, Syangja, Pokhara and Mugling. Even after 6 months since the bridge was broken, the public has had to suffer due to the lack of construction and the lack of provision of alternative roads.
Preparations are underway to bring the broken bridge over the Binayi River in Dumkibas on the Butwal-Narayangadh section into operation by this Ashar.
प्रतिक्रिया दिनुहोस्