Locals excited as Karnali bridge nears completion, ending longstanding river crossing challenges
Bhajani (Kailali): The construction of a concrete bridge over the Karnali River connecting Tikapur Municipality of Kailali and Geruwa Rural Municipality of Bardiya has reached its final stage. Local residents are highly excited as the bridge, which was scheduled for completion by the upcoming month of Ashoja, is expected to be completed by Asad before the monsoon.
With the completion of the bridge, boat transportation on the Karnali River will be permanently discontinued from this year. The river will no longer pose an obstacle to the movement of people between Kailali and Bardiya. Samjhana Chaudhary of Bardiya Shantibazaar said, “Tikapur in Kailali has become a nearby market for us. The dream of easily reaching Tikapur to find work will be fulfilled after the bridge is built, Geruwa and Tikapur are close.” She added that the long-standing situation of locals waiting for boats has now come to an end.
Residents who travel daily for work will no longer need to pay for river crossings. Previously, they were compelled to cross the river for employment and spent thousands of rupees annually just for boat services.
Santlal Katharia of Tikapur said, “On the one hand, the money that had to be paid for that boat was saved, and on the other hand, movement was possible without taking any risks.” He expressed confidence that trade relations between Kailali and Bardiya would further strengthen.
Tikapur Municipality had made significant efforts to construct the bridge with the aim of developing Tikapur as a trade hub. The main agenda of the industrial trade fair organized annually by the Tikapur Chamber of Commerce and Industry was also the construction of this concrete bridge.
As the bridge construction reaches its final phase, Geruwa Rural Municipality has already blacktopped the road leading to it. Local resident Prakash Chaudhary said that movement has become easier after the blacktopping of the road from Shantibazaar, the main market of Geruwa, to Sankatti Bridge, and expressed confidence that accessibility will improve further.
Tikapur Municipality has also begun blacktopping the road leading to the bridge. Municipal engineer Rajendra Rawal said that blacktopping of one and a half kilometers of road has started in the current fiscal year at a cost of Rs 16.4 million. He added that graveling work on the remaining 600 meters has also begun. “Due to lack of budget this year, all the roads from the market to the bridge could not be blacktopped,” he said. “If the municipality can ensure the budget next year, it will not take 10 minutes to reach the bridge from Tikapur.”
The construction company will build 250 meters of blacktopped road on both sides of the bridge. It is also believed that the under-construction bridge will contribute to tourism development along with transportation. The area includes tourist attractions such as Rani Karnali Community Forest, Sheetal Community Forest, and Janshakti Community Forest.
A view tower has been constructed within Janshakti Community Forest to observe the Karnali River. The ravines created by the river can be seen from the bridge. Local Puskal Bishwakarma said there is high potential for tourists visiting Tikapur Park to reach Sankatti more easily, adding that it will be more convenient for visitors who currently rely on water transport.
The bridge construction contract was awarded in Poush 2079 BS, with work starting a year late. The project is being carried out by Rasuwa Construction. Side in-charge Krishna Dhungel said the delay was due to design preparation and environmental assessment work. “After the work started, we worked day and night and are completing the work two months ahead of the contract,” he said.
He added that if government funding had been ensured on time, the project could have been completed by last Chaitra. According to Dhungel, payment of Rs 120 million is still pending.
The bridge is 752 meters long and 11 meters wide, supported by 14 pillars. The construction cost is Rs 1.04 billion. An additional Rs 1.18 billion has been spent on roads and river control, including an additional Rs 140 million.