The new bridge in Vinayikhola will be operational within this month, the problem of road congestion in the lower area will not be resolved immediately.
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Vehicular traffic has come to a standstill after the Vinayikhola diversion at Dumkibas under the Narayangadh-Butwal road section of the East-West Highway was washed away on Thursday night. Cargo and large passenger vehicles are stuck across the river while smaller vehicles are using alternate roads.
Since Tuesday, traffic has been operating only partially in the downstream area of the Narayangadh-Butwal road section, and the diversion of Vinayikhola was washed away by water around 11 pm on Thursday. At that time
Bus No. 1 B 4085 got stuck in the Vail while trying to cross the diversion. After about half an hour, security personnel and locals who came with an excavator rescued the passengers.
Saroj Chaudhary of Dang, who was met in Dumkibas on Friday afternoon, was thinking of crossing 14 km of the Daunne section on foot with his family. "Rather than waiting for the diversion of Vinayikhola, it would be better to reach Bardghat on foot and take another vehicle from there," he said. Other passengers are also walking.'
The bridge of Vinayikhola was washed away on 28th December due to the impact of Indian wave. The diversion constructed after that has been flowing even in normal rains. Passengers say that there is a situation where they have to go on this road just by looking at the clouds in the sky.
Although the bridge that was washed away in Vinayikhola has not been repaired, the new bridge built during the road expansion will be operational within June and then the journey will be easier, said Shiv Khanal, engineer of the Narayangadh-Butwal Road Plan (Eastern Section). Even if the dam is repaired, it will flow when the water comes. We have instructed the contractors to make it easier by adding ballast. But after a few days, the problem of Dumkibas will be solved," he said. Chief Engineer of Road Division Bharatpur Narayan Prasad Lamichhane said that vehicles can be driven on the new bridge from June 22. Diversion was made in Vinayikhola, it floods and flows. This situation is still a bit of a mess,' he said, 'There is no other option.'
Ghanshyam Giri, Chairman of Vinayi-Triveni Municipality expressed his grief that despite his repeated requests to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Director of Highway Maintenance Project Chudaraj Dhakal and Transport Minister Devendra Dahal, to work on the road quickly, they were not heard. "Passengers walking on the highway are reprimanded saying, "Where are they getting the number from? The local government is watching Ramita," he said.
After the new bridge was put into operation, the traffic in Vinayikhola will be easy, but the passengers will have to suffer in the downstream area. When it rains, the road becomes slippery. It took more than eight hours for vehicles to cross the road on Thursday when the road was one-way. There is a risk of slipping even when the vehicle is moving.
Sonu Gupta of Bhairahawa, who had taken a vehicle from Bhairahawa to Hetaunda for the Public Service Commission examination on Thursday evening, got stuck in a traffic jam at Downne at 8 o'clock. He stayed there all night and said that he left the car and reached Dumkibas on foot on Friday morning as the jam was not going to open. "I reached Dumkibas at 11 in the morning asking for a lift somewhere on a motorcycle," he said.
East Nawalparasi police chief Yadav Dhakal said that because the highway was not properly maintained, even the police had to face round-the-clock harassment. "We have to stop in places so that vehicles and people do not pile up on the lower hill," he said, "Many times appeals have been made, letters have been sent." People from the road do not come to work on the highway. More than 18,000 vehicles ply on the Butwal-Narayangadh road every day.
