By Belina Thapa
Lamjung, July 22: Connection with upper Manang has been disrupted as the only suspension bridge joining the area was washed away by a flood Tuesday night.
As per the authorities, the bridge built over the Marsyangdi linking Ward 4 and Ward 5 of Chame Rural Municipality was swept away.
The flood in the Marsyangdi River was triggered by incessant rains.
“The bridge was flooded away from the side of Ward 4. The bridge now suspends over the river. Some part of the bridge on the side of Ward 5 is all that’s left,” said Bishnu Lamichhane, Chief District Officer of Manang.
The local officials of Chame informed that the bridge was continuously under the risk of flood.
“The bridge was at risk from flood. It was able to withstand the floods in June, but the one on Tuesday night destroyed it,” said Dipendra Godar, communication technology officer at Chame Rural Municipality.
Godar further informed that the left over part of the bridge might get washed away too if the flood continued.
Teams from Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force had tried to pull the remaining part of the bridge but were unable to do so. Police had also prohibited people from using the bridge once the water level started rising steadily.
A Bailey bridge on the upper side of the suspension bridge also linked the two wards but was also damaged by the flood.
There are stones, trees, branches and leaves piled up in the Bailey bridge. The locals had been thus using the suspension bridge to commute. After the sweeping away of the bridge, the movement between the two wards has completely halted.
“We cannot do anything until the water level on the river subsides,” said Lamichhane.