Last October, the middle pillar of the bridge over the Tilawe river under the Gandak canal was broken. Even after four months have passed since the middle part of the bridge was washed away from both sides, the bridge has not been constructed. After the collapse of the bridge, the Irrigation Division Office Birganj has constructed a diversion over the river for traffic.
However, the locals have complained that due to excessive use of sand and mud on the diversion road, it is difficult to drive the vehicle. Residents of the northern part of Parsa use the Gandak canal to reach the headquarters Birganj and Bara. Recently, after the road department paved the canal road, the traffic has increased. After the collapse of the bridge, some vehicles have started using the Tilawe Barrage road. After the big vehicles started using the road of the barrage, the structure of the barrage started drying up, according to the irrigation technician.
According to Manoj Patel, Head of Irrigation Division Office, the department was informed immediately after the bridge collapsed. "The officials of the department said that the broken bridge will be built by the road department," says Patel, head of the office, "but whether the road will be built or not, it is not clear." Patel said that there is no budget in the office for bridge construction. The budget comes only for cleaning the canal and maintaining the irrigation system .
Saroj Yadav, a resident of Parsagadhi Municipality, who was using the road, said that the residents of the northern part of Parsa had to suffer after the bridge collapsed. "Diversion cannot be used after the flow of Tilawe River increases in Barkha," he said, "The government should take a decision to repair or rebuild the bridge in time." We have been forced to take a risky journey.' He said that it is sad that the Gandak Canal bridge has not been built even though there are only three cabinet ministers from Parsa in the federal government.
Most of the structures of the canal are dilapidated. Most of its structures have become dilapidated due to lack of regular maintenance. Under the Gandak Canal, there are 22 small bridges in Parsa and Bar. Apart from the broken Tilawe river bridge, three other bridges are also in dilapidated condition. Bangari river in Bara's Feta rural municipality, Sirsia river in Birgunj metropolitan city and Oriya river in Jagarnathpur rural municipality are dilapidated. Not only the bridge, but also most of the gates and siphons built in the canal are dilapidated, according to the technician.
Recently, large vehicles have started moving on the approach roads and bridges built for the movement of small irrigation vehicles. Although the approach road is highly used, the bridges on it are becoming dilapidated due to lack of maintenance. The bridges built for canal inspections are capable of bearing the load of light vehicles. As only light vehicles can pass, the pillars of the bridge are 50 cm round,' says a technician. . The canal was constructed with the aim of irrigating 31 thousand four hundred hectares of land from Parsa to Rautahat. The Indian side releases water into the canal from the barrage built on the Nepal-India border at Bhainsalotan in Nawalparasi.
