Army toiling for long hours to install MBP bridge over Melamchi River

Melamchi, June 27: rom early morning until late evening, a group of 55 army personnel from 14 brigades of the Nepal Army have been working tirelessly to install the Matiere Panel Bridge (MPB) over the Melamchi River opposite Melamchi Bazar, aiming to complete the work within given timeframe. 

The previous concrete bridge was washed away by the Melamchi flood on June 15, 2021. Since then, the residents of Melamchi Municipality, Helambu Rural Municipality, Panchpokhari Thangpal Rural Municipality, and Indrawati Rural Municipality have been facing difficulties to cross the river. 

Nabaraj Dulal from Melamchi Municipality-11 shared that he visits the bridge construction site daily to monitor the progress. He stated, “When I witness the army personnel working diligently from 5 AM until late evening, it reminds me of the hardships we faced two years ago. We are inspired by their efforts and hard work. Although it is a temporary structure, we are pleased that the bridge construction will be completed soon.” 

Dulal added that Minister for Health and Population, Mohan Bahadur Basnet, fulfilled his promise, which was a key factor in the community’s support for him during the elections. 

Another local resident, Dal Bahadur Giri, said that all the local representatives and residents were actively contributing to ensure the timely completion of the project. 

Major Chirinjibi Chaulagain from the 14 brigades of the Nepal Army affirmed that the bridge installation work would be completed on schedule. He stated, “We were given a month’s time until the end of this month (July 16), but if the monsoon is favourable, we will finish the project within two weeks.” 

“Our mission is to complete the work ahead of schedule and hand it over to the locals, so our army personnel are working 16 hours a day to meet the target,” he said.

The work began on June 21 based on the decision of the Council of Ministers and the instructions of the Chief of Army Staff. Prior to that, they were involved in tasks such as constructing gabion fences, managing the riverbank, and removing debris from the river, Chaulagain explained. 

Mayor Aaitaman Tamang of Melamchi Municipality reported that the construction work was progressing well and hoped it would be completed by the end of June. 

He highlighted that two years ago, the motorable bridge was swept away by floods, leaving the community eagerly waiting for the construction of a new bridge. Additionally, another concrete bridge was also washed away. 

The relevant government agencies have been repeatedly urged to address this issue and construct new bridges, but the community had to wait for two years to see the temporary structure to be erected, Mayor Tamang stated. 

The bridge construction efforts were initiated by Minister for Health and Population Basnet and Krishna Kumar Tamang, a Member of the Bagmati Province Assembly, as the area falls within Minister Basnet’s constituency. 

Regarding the delays in bridge construction over the past two years, Mayor Tamang mentioned that there were plans to construct a concrete bridge by the end of the current fiscal year. However, due to insufficient budgetary allocations, they had to opt for a temporary structure instead. 

The bridge will have a carrying capacity of 24 tons and will be 210 meters long. Minister Basnet emphasized, “Ideally, this bridge should have been built during the winter season, as floods can also impact this period. Nevertheless, we are striving to complete it before the onset of heavy rainfall.”