Kerunge River bridge crawls to 90% completion after eight years

By Bom Lal Giri, Nawalpur, Jan 6: The construction of a bridge over the Kerunge River, connecting Wards 3, 4, and 5 of Kawasoti Municipality in Nawalpur, which was to be completed in three years, has seen just 90 per cent completion even after eight years. 

Ward chair of Kawasoti-4 Narayan Prasad Lohani said that the bridge construction work, which began in 2018 and was to be completed in three years, is now just 90 percent complete.

The bridge was to be completed by July 2020; however, repetitive impeding and tendency of contractor's tendency to go out of contract have caused the project to fail.

The last time the deadline was extended was on the condition that the construction be expedited in a way that the bridge gets completed by July 2023.

Although the upper part of the bridge is paved and accessible, the road connecting the bridge to the right and left has not been paved, and the construction of the embankment and the installation of gabion walls are still pending.

Stating that there is a risk of flooding in the coastal area due to the lack of construction of the embankment, Ward chair Lohani urged the contractor company to immediately expedite the construction work.

Adventure Construction Company was awarded the contract to complete the construction of the 140-meter-long bridge at a cost of Rs 105 million.

Locals face hassle while crossing the bridge, mostly during the rainy season, and commercial farmers from Hupsekot and Kawasoti face the most problems.

Once this bridge is built, the journey to Palpa will also be shortened.