Mahendranagar. It is estimated that Rs 20 crore will be spent on the reconstruction of the historic Dodhara Chandani suspension bridge in Kanchanpur.

Traffic on the bridge has been halted after one of the pillars of the suspension bridge over the Mahakali River collapsed in the second week of September and other parts were also damaged. A technical team led by Deputy Director General of Suspension Bridge Division Kamal Kumar Adhikari from Kathmandu has studied the damage of the bridge.

The Deputy Director General said that they have submitted a report to the Local Infrastructure Development Department with details of the damage to the bridge and the cost of reconstruction. The team concluded the damage to the tune of Rs 70 million and submitted the report to the department. He said that Rs 20 crore will be required for the reconstruction of the bridge.

“There has been a loss of seven crore rupees. A report has already been prepared and submitted saying that it will cost twenty crores for the reconstruction.” Deputy Director General Adhikari said, “We are ready to work if the budget is allocated according to the plan.” He said that the reconstruction of the Mahakali river can be started only after the water flow recedes. “The soil test will be done only after the water dries up,” he said, adding, “For this, the work can be started only in winter.” ”

He said that if the budget is managed, the bridge will be completed within a year of the reconstruction. According to the technical team, along with the collapsed pillars of the bridge, two more pillars on the right and left sides are also in a weak condition. The traffic of Dodhara Chandani has not been completely affected due to the construction of a four-lane concrete bridge two and a half kilometers north of the suspension bridge. Meanwhile, the Far-Western Provincial Government has allocated a budget of one crore rupees for the reconstruction of the Dodhara Chandni suspension bridge.