Residents of Tallo Bhirgaun and Malbanse, who have been dangerously crossing the Nibuwa River in Dhankuta using bamboo and wood rafts, have built a 22-meter-long concrete corbel by donating their labor for 22 days.
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Some carried sand, crushed gravel, and those with strong arms and legs carried stones. Those with skills built walls, while those who could not afford to donate labor helped with lunch.
Residents of Tallo Bhirgaun and Malbanse, who had been crossing the Nibuwa River in Dhankuta in a risky way using bamboo and wood rafts, have donated labor for 22 days to build a 22-meter-long concrete culvert.
Dron Prasad Guragain, 65, and Dambar Rana, 42, led the construction of the culvert with the technical assistance of Sub-Engineer Bishnu Podar of Dhankuta Municipality. The risky journey has come to an end after the construction of a concrete culvert on the Nibuwa River, which is on the main route to and from the district headquarters, was completed with the labor of locals. From where locals from Tirdang Lala, Madhuganga, Ramite of lower Bhirgaun in Dhankuta to Chulachuli and Kajiman of Tankhuwa come to the district headquarters for market and administrative work.
In 2058 BS, under the leadership of locals Dillishwar Darnal, Bhakta Bahadur Bhandari, Dambar Guragain, Makar Bahadur Rai and Dron Prasad Guragain, the track of the Thujhehat, Malbanse, Nibuwa Khola, Madhuganga road was opened after 2 years of hard work. This is the lower section leading to Bhirgaun. After 25 years, a concrete culvert has been constructed on Nibuwa Khola with the help of well-wishers and the hard work of locals. 'We looked to the government for a bridge on Nibuwa Khola for 25 years, but when there was no plan to build a bridge, we took the initiative ourselves.'
Dambar Rana, the chairman of Madhuganga Tolbasti in Bhirgaun, who led the labor campaign, said, "Earlier, there was a fear that people would be swept away by the Nibuakhola when it rained, but now that problem has been solved." He said that seven years ago, a 60-year-old woman from Bhangtar died after being swept away while returning from the Thursday market in the district headquarters.
Although the locals provided the labor, stone, gravel, and sand required for the construction of the corbel, social worker Dron Prasad Guragain bore the cost of the hosepipe, cement, rods, and transportation. Guragain said that he led the construction of the corbel to alleviate the suffering of the people of Bhirgaun. ‘Apart from labor, stone, gravel and sand, I have done the hume pipe, cement, rod and transportation at my own expense,’ he said. ‘They say that the donation made with one hand should not be known by the other hand, I will not say that much. I am happy to be able to participate in the suffering of the villagers.’ Guragain, a permanent resident of Bhirgaun, currently lives in the upper Kopche of Dhankuta district headquarters.
Sub-Engineer of Dhankuta Municipality Bishnu Podar had personally provided technical advice for this work. According to Podar, the cost of constructing the corbel was estimated at Rs. 2.1 million.
Rana says that more than 600 locals took turns for 22 days to donate labor. After the 22-meter-long and 8-foot-wide culvert over the Nibuwa River between Dhade and Malbase came into operation, motorcycles and other vehicles have started operating smoothly. The residents of Lower Bhirgaun use this road for daily and administrative work and the Thursday market held in the district headquarters every Thursday. Local Bivarani Rai said, "Earlier, it was a big problem to cross the river during the rainy season. After the culvert was built, tempos do not stop, and even cars have started coming."
This year, a 7-kilometer, 100-meter road is being blacktopped from Hile to the upper area of Bhirgaun with the help of the Asian Development Bank. In 2060 BS, locals, led by local Chandralal Tamang and others, opened the seven-and-a-half-kilometer road from Hile to Upper Bhirgaun by donating their labor for 96 days.
In 2066 BS, with the help of ADB, the preliminary survey for the construction of the Thuyurre Hat, Malbanse Bhirgaun Ramite, Madhuganga road was also carried out from the upper area of Bhirgaun, said Yubaraj Darnal of Ganeshtar Bhirgaun. Here (the upper section) is currently being paved with the help of the Asian Development Bank.
There is a total of 19 kilometers of ring road including the lower and upper sections. After the assurance of ADB, Dhankuta Municipality had planned to complete the 19-kilometer ring road through Hile, Chokrok, Bhirgaun, Madhuganga, Nibuwa Khola, Malbanse, Thuyurre Hat. However, as the work could not proceed as per the municipality's plan, the residents of the lower area are facing problems, says Sitaram Gautam, the head of the administration, planning and monitoring section of the municipality. He said, "We were waiting for a big project as the municipality's small investment would be insufficient due to the complex geographical conditions, but donor support was not available as per the municipality's plan and proposal."
However, he said that the construction and maintenance of retaining walls is underway at difficult locations on the Thujhehat, Malbanse-Madhuganga road. Gautam informed that the budget and plan will be taken forward to make the road operational for twelve months in the coming fiscal year.
