34-year-old Prem Mongola of Pancheshwar Rural Municipality-2 Dimbar gets a ring every morning on his mobile phone. He often has only one question, 'Is the boat (boat) running or closed today?' Prem answers by shaking the surface of the river, 'It is running, come on'. Most of these calls come to Prem's mobile during rainy season.

In winter, the flow of water in the Mahakali river is low, so you can cross the boat at any time. Due to the high flow during the rainy season, the boat cannot be operated daily. Since the boat has to be driven only by checking the water level, the passengers come only by asking over the phone. 

There is no bridge to cross the Mahakali river in Lower Swarad region of Baitadi bordering India. The residents of this area, which has barely reached the road, are dependent on the Indian market for shopping, treatment, etc. From roads, electricity to markets and other development infrastructures have reached there. Locals from the riverside settlements still travel to India for shopping and meetings from Melapat. Most of them are related to each other.

The only way to cross the Mahakali in the nine ghats of Pancheshwar and Shivnath Rural Municipality is the boat. In winter, in some places, it is also passed through a tube. 

Municipalities have contracted the ghat (cable-lift) to cross the Mahakali by boat. In the last financial year, Pancheswar Rural Municipality had signed a contract for 6 ghats for 355,000. Contracts have not been called for in the current financial year. 

Similarly, Shivnath rural municipality had signed a contract for 2 ghats for 155,000 in the last financial year. In the current financial year, the contract has been called for 180,000. Every year, the rural municipality increases the amount of 5 to 10 percent in the ghat contract. 

It has been more than a decade since Prem risked his boat on the Mahakali river. His village Dimber is near Mahakali. He learned to drive a boat while playing near the river since childhood. He went to Punjab, India in search of work when he was studying in class 6 due to the poor financial condition of his family. He started driving a boat after returning from seven years of working in an Indian house in Punjab. In winter, when the river is low, he drives the boat alone. In the rainy season, three more people work together.

Prem sometimes takes the contract himself and sometimes runs it for other contractors. He can not only drive the boat but also build it. "Rather than going to someone else's place to work, it's better to sweat here in Mahakali." This has provided livelihood for years," he said. Sometimes they catch fish and sell it.

25-year-old Surendra Chand of Pancheswar-4 also does the same thing. He is the third generation of the family to ferry across the Mahakali. His grandfather and father also used to work at the Halduvinayak ghat of the same village. After the death of his father, the responsibility of running the boat fell on Surendra's shoulders. Surendra, who studied up to class 10, started working as a boatman after returning from working in a hotel in India. 

can be driven alone in winter. You don't have to give it to anyone, you can save money when you have your own earnings,'' he said. No matter what the expenses are. One person (one time) by boat costs 80 rupees in winter and 200 rupees in rainy season. In case of large bags or general goods, the price is fixed by agreement. The boat can carry 10 to 15 people at a time. 

It has been more than 13 years since 38-year-old Uday Singh Saud of Shivnath Rural Municipality-1 started driving a boat on the Mahakali. Last year, the contract for Shivnath's Nagarjan Ghat was mine. I have managed the expenses of six people's house, said Saud. His father has also been driving a boat at this ghat. 

44-year-old Gopal Chand of Pancheswar-2, who has been a contractor at Dhoyaghat regularly for 10 years, also has a different story. He went in search of work at the age of 13 and lived in different parts of India for 21 years. For 8 years he has been running the boat on contract himself. He was also a ward member for one term. Even when he was a representative of the people, he did not stop sailing. 

They say that the number of people crossing the ferry has decreased since regular vehicles started plying on the Patan-Pancheshwar road. As there was no road, the residents of Shivnath and Pancheswar Rural Municipality used to walk this way not only to India, but also to the Terai (Kailali-Kanchanpur). Local merchants also brought goods from India by boat. Now, the number of people taking the dangerous journey by boat has decreased significantly since the roads have been closed mostly near the villages. 

"When the traders stop bringing goods, they go to Terai by bus from Nepal," said Uday Singh Saund, "Only those who go to India to work in the winter and to meet people from nearby fairs, the ferry is running and it is not closed now." 

Locals make their own boats from simal, salla wood. A boat costs more than one lakh to build. The boat driver says that the boat has been maintained for 3 years. Several accidents have also occurred while crossing the ferry. Therefore, the locals have been demanding that suspension bridges should be built at three places in Mahakali to connect Lower Swarad region with India. "We have been demanding a suspension bridge since the panchayat," said Bhawani Chand, a 74-year-old resident of Pancheswar, "We don't know when the bridge will be built."