Khotang. The construction of a motorable bridge at Dhaplanghat of Sunkoshi on the border of Khotang and Udayapur districts has gained momentum. The construction of the bridge, which had been stalled for a long time due to the negligence of the contractor, has gained momentum, raising hope among the people of the southern region.

An agreement was signed with the company on July 15, 2016 for the construction of a 200-meter long bridge over Sunkoshi River at Dhaplanghat that connects Barahapokhari rural municipality-2, Suntale in southern part of the district and Dhaplanghat of Triyuga municipality-14 in Udayapur. The people of the southern part of the country were disappointed as the bridge which was under construction for nine years remained in limbo.

The work of casting of the slab for the bridge has begun, which was laid by the then Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on September 14, 2017. Though an agreement was made in 2076 BS for the construction of the motorable concrete bridge at Dhaplanghat, the construction has been stalled due to the negligence of the contractors.

The Rasuwa Construction Pvt Ltd, which was involved in the joint venture, started the construction of the bridge after the lead party Swachchhanda Construction Company was blacklisted and bailed out after the construction of the bridge, which was awarded the contract by Swachchhanda Rasuwa-Pappu JV at the cost of Rs 21.65 crore of the federal government, remained in limbo.

Outgoing Minister Rai said that the bridge construction work has been resumed amidst various difficulties. “There are five slabs on the Dhaplanghat bridge. One has just slid down. The contractor company has expressed commitment to complete at least three slopes this year,” he said, adding that the journey of prosperity of Khotang would begin once the Dhaplanghat bridge comes into operation. Elected representatives need to pay attention to this. ”

As per the deadline, the construction of the bridge has to be completed by Jestha 19, 2084 BS. According to the construction company, construction work is underway with the aim of ferrying vehicles from Dhaplanghat by Chaitra 2083 BS. According to Nabin Sah, an engineer at the Department of Roads, Bridge Sector Dharan, 43 percent of the bridge construction has been completed. When that was not possible, the design was changed last year and the construction of the bridge was started using Pile Foundation technology. Water is being dried for the slab slope. If the water is dried quickly, two more slabs can be cast this year. Only four of the six pillars needed to be constructed for the bridge construction have been completed. However, three more pillars are yet to be constructed as one of the pillars was damaged by the floods last year.

Dirt roads have been constructed on both Khotang and Udayapur sides in Dhaplanghat for many years. However, in the absence of a concrete bridge over the Sunkoshi river, there is no situation for heavy vehicles to cross the river. Locals said that motorbikes are being used to cross the suspension bridge.

According to Salikram Banjara, chief of Barahapokhari Rural Municipality, transportation of goods from outside has become costlier and it has been difficult to export local products in absence of bridge at Dhaplanghat. “We are compelled to live under the blockade due to the lack of the Dhaplanghat bridge. Lately, the construction of the bridge has gained momentum. The bodies concerned should pay attention to this,” he said.

The construction of the bridge is expected to change the lifestyle of some locals of Barahapokhari, Jantedhunga and Khotehang rural municipalities of Khotang and Bhojpur. Work has also been started to connect a temporary bailey bridge at Dhaplanghat until the construction of a motorable concrete bridge is completed.