The construction of this bridge in Jhapa Rural Municipality-2 of Southern Jhapa was started in the financial year 2073/74 with a contract costing about 60 million. However, even after a long time, the construction of the bridge was not completed.
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Almost 10 years have passed since the construction work started, but the construction of the small Maikhola bridge under the Hulaki road has not been completed.
The bridge was swept away when the river flooded after the incessant rain last Saturday night. The pillar in the middle part of the bridge has been washed away, while the river has also eroded the eastern side of the bridge. At present, even though motorcycles, bicycles and local citizens are allowed to cross, other vehicles cannot cross the bridge.
The construction of this bridge in Jhapa rural municipality-2 of southern Jhapa was started in the financial year 2073/74 with a contract costing about 60 million. However, even after a long time, the construction work of the bridge was not finished. According to Yuvraj Pokharel, Head of Planning of Hulaki Road Planning Office, Itahari, the approximate road leading to the bridge, railings of the bridge, river trailing and other works were left.
However, he said that it seems that the bridge has been completely constructed and is yet to be put into operation. The bridge built at such a high cost has been swept away due to the flood. Now, on the question of who will rebuild the bridge, Pokharel, the head of planning, says, 'The contract for the construction of the bridge was taken by a construction company called Lama-Bamti Devi. The bridge has not yet been constructed and handed over. The deadline for completion of the construction was next October. The bridge construction company should still build it.
Ranjan Tudu, a resident of Jhapa Bazar, said that the bridge collapsed on Sunday evening. The bridge was fine till 2-3 o'clock on Sunday. It was late in the evening,' he says, 'the flood was big in the river. The whole village was flooded. However, a bridge that can withstand the flood should be built. What kind of bridge will the contractor build?'
When the flood in the Kankai Mai river broke the dam and entered the settlement, there was a lot of damage here. Hundreds of families are still displaced. Bablu Soren, a resident of Milanabasti, says that in this situation, the bridge also washed away due to floods. Only pillars have been erected in the big Mai Khola. It is impossible to cross that river in drought," he said. There are villages on the other side. Now how to go across?'
