Suspension bridge shortens 3.5 hours’ journey to 20 minutes

By Hari Krishna Sharma,Mustang, July 29: Deepak Tulachan, headmaster of Sauru Basic School in Thasang Rural Municipality–2 of Mustang, can now complete his three-and-a-half-hour journey in just 20 minutes, thanks to a newly constructed suspension bridge over the Kaligandaki River.

With the construction of the suspension bridge connecting Kowang–Khanti–Sauru and Sirkung under the Beni–Jomsom–Korala road section, Tulachan no longer has to take a long route, and his travel time has significantly reduced.

Like Tulachan, Manoj Thapa, a youth from Khanti, used to walk three and a half hours daily to reach the villages across the Kaligandaki. 

During the winter season, Thapa used to cross the Kaligandaki River directly, but in the monsoon season, he was compelled to travel the long route. Now, with the suspension bridge built near his home, the journey has become much more convenient.

Following the construction of the 570-metre-long and two-metre-wide bridge connecting various settlements of Thasang Rural Municipality, the trouble of risking one’s life to cross the Kaligandaki River or using the Koke Thati suspension bridge during the monsoon has ended, according to Tulachan.

Tulachan said, “Many people who needed immediate health services had died on way to health institutions. Similarly, Kaligandaki swept away locals every year while attempting to cross the river. Now, with the construction of the bridge, no one will suffer such fate.” 

The bridge has also facilitated the market access of local produce. 

According to Tulachan, at least one person of each settlement had lost their life while crossing the Kaligandaki River. 

The bridge has put an end to the dreadful days the locals once had to endure and has resolved their main problem, he added. 

Ward chairperson of Thasang 2, Gautam Sherchan, said elderly people and children used to suffer while taking the long and risky path. 

Sherchan said, “The years of suffering have ended after the bridge was built. The villagers are now overjoyed.” 

The bridge has also made it easier for tourists visiting the Marche Lake, located at an altitude of about 4,000 metres above sea level, as well as Dhaulagiri, Nilgiri, and Tukuche Himal. 

Sherchan informed that with the construction of the bridge, it would also ease those attending the annual yak blood-drinking festival at Marche Lake. 

Yak and livestock herding are done in various settlements in Marche Lake in Thasang Rural Municipality. 

Tourists visiting other attractions and lakes within the municipality are now also benefiting from the bridge, which has facilitated easier identification of new destinations, according to the locals.

On May 12, 2020, the Suspension Bridge Division Office in Kathmandu signed a contract worth Rs 50 million with Elite Rubina Construction JV. However, the bridge construction was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and due to snowfall, severe cold, and other various problems.

Two years ago, an 83-metre-long suspension bridge was constructed over the Mharakpung Dong River along the foot trail connecting Sekung and Bhutarchho Lake, both tourist destinations within Thasang. 

Since then, 170 households from settlements like Kowang, Khanti, Naurikot, Tangchhara, and Larjung, as well as tourists visiting the lakes, have benefited from the bridge.