Photo: Thakur Prasad Acharya The motorable bridge at risk due to river erosion.
By Thakur Prasad Acharya, Beni, Aug. 25: The Dukhukhola motorable bridge along the Beni-Darbang-Takam-Muna-Jaljala road, which connects Myagdi district headquarters Beni with the western parts of the district, is at risk due to river erosion.
The bridge lies on the border of Mangala Rural Municipality-2 and Malika Rural Municipality-6. Floods in the steep Dukhukhola during the monsoon have eroded the area around the bridge, putting the structure at risk.
The bridge was also threatened by river erosion last year. The Infrastructure Development Office, Myagdi, had installed gabion structures to protect it.
Local Shriram Paudel said floodwater has started flowing beneath the foundation on the Mangala side of the bridge, while the road has also become narrower. “The flood has damaged the structures built to protect the bridge. River erosion has also put the road at risk. The concerned authorities should take immediate measures to protect the bridge,” he said.
He added that passenger vehicles and large trucks carrying materials for hydropower projects under construction in the western part of the district were now facing difficulties while crossing the bridge. “If the bridge collapses, direct road connectivity will be disrupted,” he warned.
The Infrastructure Development Office said it started work to protect the bridge on Saturday.
Senior Divisional Engineer Dr Mahendra Baniya, chief of the office, said a dozer had been deployed to divert the river and construction of protective walls had begun to safeguard the bridge pillars and approach road.
He urged travellers to exercise caution while using the bridge as it remains at risk.
The 20-metre-long and six-metre-wide bridge was constructed at a cost of Rs20.6 million after the then District Infrastructure Office awarded the contract. It was completed and brought into operation in 2019.
The Rising Nepal
