Risky tuins over Mahakali River replaced

By Lokendra Joshi,Darchula, Feb. 18: The Mahakali River at the border of Nepal and India in Darchula district now has 10 suspension bridges over it. 

Of them, six were built by the federal government’s Tuin Displacement Programme in the last six years.

 According to Deergha Raj Upadhyay, Chief District Officer of Darchula, the programme has constructed suspension bridges at Lali in Lekam Rural Municipality–3, Banku in Malikarjun Rural Municipality–6, Badugaun and Tigram in Vyans Rural Municipality–6, Malgaun, in Vyans–2 and Malghatte in Vyas–4 since 2017.

Meanwhile, there already were four bridges over the river at Pulghat in the district headquarters Khalanga, Dattu in Mahakali Rural Municipality–9, Sitapur in Vyans–1 and Joljiwi in Malikarjun–7.

The bridges at Malgaun and Malghatte were inaugurated on Thursday. They were jointly inaugurated by the chief district officers of Darchula, Nepal and Pithhaurgadh, India, amid a programme. 

The suspension bridge at Malgaun is 140 metres long while the one at Malghatte is 120 metres long, and they will be guarded by the Armed Police Force and the Nepal Police respectively. 

A motorable bridge, the first one in the hills of Sudurpashcim, is also being constructed between Asigada in Darchula and Mallachharchhum in India. 

However, the locals of Dumling, Vyans–2, still do not have a bridge they can use to cross the Mahakali River in their area. Mangal Singh Dhami, chairman of Vyans Rural Municipality, accused the authorities of neglecting the locals’ demands.

These bridges are expected to enable Nepalis of the region to travel to India to purchase daily goods without having to risk their lives on dangerous tuins.

No more Jay Singh Dhamis

Jay Singh Dhami was swept away by the Mahakali River a year and a half ago when India’s border security force, the Sashastra Seema Bal, cut the tuin wire he was using to get across. But now, the tuin in Malghat has been replaced, making it safe for the people to cross the river, said Rural Municipality chairman Dhami. To date, 66 people have died while trying to cross the Mahakali using the tuins and with floatation tubes.