report in Nepalnews, July 27,2023
BARDIYA: It has been already six years since the Jabdighat bridge connecting the Gulariya and Barbardiya municipalities in Bardiya was swept away by a flood, causing inconvenience to the locals. In the lack of restoration of the bridge for years, locals are forced to undertake risker travel routes. In addition to this, it has affected their livelihood as well.
Ram Gopal Tharu of Barbaridya municipality-11 expressed significant inconveniences caused by the lack of restoration of the bridge.
“We are unfortunate to see our vegetable produce getting perished in the field as we have no accessible means of transport to take them to the market. This is vegetable production season and the supplies are essential for livelihoods,” farmer Phakla Bahadur Satgauala of Barbardiya-4 said.
The bridge that was built at the cost of 166.8 million was significantly damaged by the monsoon flood in 2074 BS. The handover ceremony of the bridge had not yet taken place when it collapsed due to the flood from the Babai River.
Earlier, federal parliament member from Bardiya constituency 1, Sanjay Kumar Gautam, staged a hunger strike from May 13-21 demanding the construction of a new bridge in the area. He agreed to end his strike after Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Prakash Jwala promised to initiate the bridge construction within a month. https://nepalnews.com/s/issues/people-waiting-for-restoration-of-bridge-for-six-years
