Sunsari. Even after a year since the collapse of the Hariyali Tindhwange Khahare Bridge in Dharan Sub-metropolitan City-8, locals are forced to commute daily, putting their lives at risk, due to the lack of reconstruction. The bridge, which was completed in Chaitra, 2080 Bikram Sambat, collapsed less than six months ago. Even after a year, locals have complained that the concerned bodies have not taken any initiative to repair or reconstruct it.
‘It has been a year since the bridge collapsed, but we are forced to walk here even if we are on foot,’ said local Jeevan Tamang, ‘It is very risky to walk with small children, the elderly and the sick. We are hoping that the bridge will be built someday. Now that the rains have started, there is a fear that the river will flood, but there is no alternative.’
According to him, after the bridge collapsed, pedestrians are taking risks while vehicles are forced to use alternative routes. ‘Vehicles take a roundabout route, but elderly people like us, children and students have to walk at their own risk,’ said local 79-year-old Amrit Shrestha. ‘The absence of a bridge has caused problems for ambulances to take patients to the hospital.’ Earlier, using this bridge meant a short distance to reach the BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, but now using the alternative roundabout route means patients reach late and is having a serious impact, according to locals.
As the rainy season has begun, the risk of flooding in the Khahare River and entering the settlement has increased. Ward Chairman Dhan Bahadur Rai informed that about 200 houses are at risk of direct flooding as the sewage from Dharan Bazaar area mixes with this river. According to him, the bridge, which was built in 2017 BS to facilitate access to the British Ghopa Camp, has now completely collapsed. He said that the bridge collapsed when the old bridge was blacktopped instead of a new one during the construction of the Madan Bhandari Highway.
Dharan Sub-metropolitan City Deputy Mayor Aindra Bikram Begha said that an on-site inspection of the bridge has been carried out and that a temporary cabin has been placed to drain the water through the culvert. He said that efforts are being made to solve the problems of the locals by starting the process of rebuilding the bridge soon. According to Ghanshyam Khadka, engineer of the Madan Bhandari Highway Construction Project, the bridge was blacktopped on the spot when the road was blacktopped in 2080 BS. But he said that the iron used in the culvert was old and rusty and broke.
After the culvert broke, the temporary road was washed away again by the flood, so a temporary iron bridge was built from the side to allow small vehicles and tempos to operate, he said. The process of preparing a detailed project report (DPR) for a permanent solution is underway and then the construction of a new bridge will begin, he said.
According to him, since the bridge is very old, its cost and details are not in the records. He said that the recent flood has increased the internal erosion of the Khahare River, which has spread further fear among the locals. The river has already eroded a lot. The construction of a new bridge is urgent. Engineer Khadka says that it should be built after studying and that it may take some time.
Since the sewage in the Dharan Bazaar area mixes with the stream, the locals are concerned that the water flow will be excessive during the rainy season and the stream may change its course and enter the settlement. Locals are urging the government and the concerned bodies to adopt speedy reconstruction of the bridge. Locals say that delay in the construction of the bridge may cause loss of life and property.
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