Although locals have made arrangements for movement by constructing temporary steel structures on their own initiative, vehicle operations have been completely affected.
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The Tindwange Khahare Bridge under the Madan Bhandari Highway in Dharan Sub-metropolitan City-8 has been abandoned for two years. Locals say that there has been a problem with traffic due to the delay in the reconstruction of the bridge.
The bridge located in Arun Tole, which was repaired in Chaitra 2080, collapsed in Shrawan 2081, less than 5 months after it collapsed. Locals have been complaining that the government has not shown any interest in reconstructing the bridge even after two years. Fear is growing among locals as the rainy season approaches.
When the British Ghopa Camp was established in 2017 BS, a 32-foot-long bridge was built with three iron slats with the aim of making the distance to Ghopa easy and short. In 2080 BS, when the two-lane Madan Rajbhandari Highway was blacktopped with the investment of the Government of Nepal, the 63-year-old dilapidated bridge was blacktopped. At that time, Isahak Rai, a technician at the contractor company of Moti Dan Construction Company, Kathmandu, which had won the contract to blacktop the highway, said that the company was not responsible for the bridge since it was only a contract to make corrugations and blacktops.
When the Madan Bhandari Highway was being built, the dilapidated structure was not taken into account and the bridge collapsed because it could not withstand the load. “The bridge, which had been in use for a long time, had gradually become dilapidated. We had protested at that time, we were assured of building a new bridge, but the bridge finally collapsed while working on the old structure,” he said.
After the bridge collapsed, the flow of water in the Khahare River has become uncontrolled. Locals say that there is a risk of flooding during the rainy season as the water from the market area’s drain also mixes with the Khahare River. According to local Rita Rai, the settlement has reached a high risk as the water continues to erode the land. She said, "The possibility of flooding has increased during the monsoon, and the settlement has become unsafe due to land erosion."
Even though the locals have taken the initiative to build temporary steel structures to facilitate movement, vehicle operations have been completely affected. The compulsion to use alternative detours has increased both time and cost, said local development Rai. According to him, the risk of falling and accidents is high for children and the elderly while traveling. "The main road is narrowing, and the risk of land subsidence has also increased," he said.
He said that the risk is increasing as the monsoon approaches. It has become unsafe to walk due to the lack of proper wire mesh and protective structures. Children and the elderly are especially at risk. Rai said that since the water is eroding the land, a major accident can occur at any time since the settlement is located there.
Emergency services have also been seriously affected after the bridge was blocked. Ambulances carrying patients, in particular, are forced to use alternative long routes. Ambulances going from various places in the east to BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences now have to take a detour through Bhanu Chowk.
Local Sagar Limbu says, ‘Earlier this route was short, now patients have to take a detour.’ Stating that they have been living in danger and fear for the past two years, he said that immediate reconstruction is necessary, adding, ‘The monsoon has started again, but there is no sign of bridge construction.’
Locals are demanding that the relevant bodies immediately proceed with the construction process as the risk has increased as the monsoon season approaches.
Dharan’s acting mayor Aindra Bikram Begha has admitted that the work has been delayed due to lack of resources. According to him, the work could not be started immediately due to lack of budget. But now that resources have been ensured, he said that the reconstruction process will be started soon. He also informed that the Roads Department is currently studying the condition of the bridge and making necessary preparations under the Madan Bhandari Highway Project.
