Karnali Bridge appears to be dilapidated due to a lack of maintenance

Tikapur: Even after the construction of the only Karnali bridge that connects the Far Western Province with other parts of the country, normal maintenance has not been done for three decades. Karnali Bridge, which started construction in 2044 BS(1987 AD) and was completed in 2050 BS(1988 AD), has not been repaired even once, the nut bolts of the bridge have fallen and some parts of the bridge are shaking.

The bridge was built by Japan's Kawasaki Heavy Industries. The 500-meter-long bridge built on two pillars on the same foundation is balanced with the help of 30 and 30 iron sticks on both sides. Technicians said that the bridge should be regularly maintained from time to time. A house and godown have been built under the bridge on the east side to balance the bridge which is 325 meters on the west side of the pillar and 175 meters on the east side.

The residents have complained that the technicians of the Road Division Office, Nepalgunj, who are in charge of maintenance, come from time to time and go up inside the pillars to check the load balance, and observe the condition of rust on the iron used in the bridge. Now a lot of vehicles have started moving on the bridge which is balanced on both sides in a scale style. They drive over the bridge without considering the weight of the vehicle.

Previously, two vehicles were allowed to cross the bridge at a time, but now the vehicles are being left without checking the weight of the goods carried by the vehicle, so there is concern about when the bridge will be repaired, said Markandeya Upadhyay, a local teacher. After the bridge was put into operation in the year 2050 BS(1993 AD), a team of 32 ex-servicemen guarded the bridge.

In the early days of the bridge operation, the Japanese engineer said that there should not be too many vehicles on the bridge. Local Ramesh Bisht said that the number of vehicles plying on the bridge and the activities of vandalism on the bridge has increased since the Bhupu soldiers stopped protecting the bridge and said that the concerned authorities did not pay attention to the sensitive bridge. Since 2072 BS(2015), the road department has appointed two supervisors. Supervisor Dansingh Thapa said - 'The bridge should be maintained and cared for as usual, but that has not been done. We are maintaining the cleanliness of the bridge and the equipment as much as we can. No other special work could be done.

In recent days, hundreds of people come to the bridge on local festivals and birthdays and take pictures, dance, sing, etc. People come from far and wide to see the bridge and it has become a centre of attraction for tourists, especially from India. The iron has been rusted. Cars have been parked on the bridge and shops have also been placed on the bridge itself. In the year 2061, when there was a clash between the then CPN-Maoist and government security forces, 142 places on the bridge were shot. The place where the bullets hit is now rusting.

Lab Bahadur Shahi, Ward President of Ward No. 3 of Lamkichuha Municipality, said that after the support on the east side became loose, it began to shake. He said that since the tourists coming to Karnali Chisapani, a tourist area connected to Bardiya National Park, could not be informed, while the bridge's materials are being removed.