India provides 10 extra Bailey bridges

BY OUR CORRESPONDENT,Hetauda, Nov. 21: India has provided an additional 10 Bailey bridges (steel bridges) as a grant this year to ensure the regular operation of the road network, which was damaged by floods and landslides triggered by heavy rainfall in September.  

Last year, India provided 10 Bailey bridges to Nepal.

Of the 10 new bridges provided, one was handed over to Nepal on Thursday. The remaining nine bridges are expected to arrive in Nepal within a week. 

On Thursday, India's Ambassador to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava, handed over the first Bailey bridge to Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Physical Infrastructure and Transport, and Urban Development, Kulman Ghising, in Hetauda.

The Bailey bridge provided by India is 70 metres long, with a width of 4.25 metres, designed for single-lane traffic. The bridge has a load-bearing capacity of 38 metric tons.

On the occasion, Minister Ghising emphasised that India's support in providing these bridges will be crucial for the quick restoration of infrastructure, helping to make the road network more accessible during Nepal's ongoing natural disaster crisis. He further stated that India had been a reliable neighbour in various sectors, including roads, energy, education, and health, and that the assistance provided in times of crisis has strengthened bilateral ties.

Ambassador Srivastava reaffirmed India's readiness to assist Nepal in times of need. He said that the longer length of this year's Bailey bridges would make it easier to connect areas that suffered significant damage, and that technical teams would soon arrive to assist with the installation of the bridges at the designated locations.

Keshav Sharma, Secretary at the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, and Vijay Jaishi, Director General of the Department of Roads, expressed gratitude for India's continued material and technical support in restoring the road network affected by natural disasters.

He said they were facing problems to fix Bailey Bridges longer than 50 meters, as they are not found in market. "This time we received Bailey Bridges longer than 70 metres from India, and they will be a big help to resume obstructed roads," he said.

Of the 10 Bailey Bridges received from India this time, five will be kept at Road Division Office Hetauda, and five at Biratnagar Road Division Office, said Vijay Jaisi, Director General of Department of Roads.