Bridge construction process begins at Piprahawa Ghat on Rapti River

By Siraj Khan, Nepalgunj, May 28: The construction process of a 550-metre-long suspension bridge, with a width of two metres, has begun at Piprahawa Ghat on the Rapti River, which connects three local levels in Banke district.

With the bridge project moving forward, the long-standing hardship of residents from Rapti Sonari, Narainapur and Duduwa Rural Municipalities, who have been forced to cross the Rapti River by boat at significant risk to their lives due to the absence of a bridge, is expected to come to an end.

Engineer Kailash Moktan from the Suspension Bridge Division in Lalitpur said that the bridge will be built linking areas such as Pareda, Piprahawa and Deupuruwa in Ward No. 7 of Rapti Sonari Rural Municipality, and Balupurwa, Chaupheri and surrounding areas in Ward No. 1 of Duduwa Rural Municipality. 

Moktan said that the demand for the bridge had been raised for years by hundreds of locals from the three municipalities, and the government has now initiated the construction process in response.

He added that the multi-span suspension bridge will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs. 150 million. A technical survey has already been completed by an engineering team that visited Banke for the project.

Local residents said the bridge would finally end the dangerous practice of crossing the river by boat, which has long been the only option due to the absence of infrastructure.

Durga Prasad Pandey, 70, of Khalla Jhagadiya of Rapti Sonari-7, said he has been campaigning for nearly five decades for a bridge at Piprahawa Ghat. He expressed relief that the survey has finally been carried out, saying the era of risking lives for river crossings now appears to be coming to an end. He added that despite years of demands, there had been no response, leaving people dependent entirely on boats for transportation.

Boat operator Guddu Mallah, who has been working at Piprahawa Ghat for the past 10 years, shared that he had many close calls while ferrying passengers, especially during sudden floods when strong currents would sweep boats away. He said he is now happy to hear that such dangerous days may soon be over.

Many farmers from Rapti Sonari, Duduwa and Narainapur cultivate land across the river and therefore regularly need to cross it. In addition, locals frequently use the route to reach the Indian border markets and Nepalgunj, as it provides a quicker connection.

Nepali Congress Banke Constituency No. 1 President Poshan KC expressed enthusiasm upon hearing the news of the bridge construction and urged that the project be completed as quickly as possible.

Similarly, Narainapur Rural Municipality Chair Ishtiyak Ahmed Shah said he was pleased with the development and expressed confidence that the bridge would significantly ease transportation difficulties for local residents.