Lack of budget delays construction of Karnali bridge

Kailali: The construction of the concrete bridge over the Karnali River, which connects Tikapur Municipality of Kailali and Geruwa Rural Municipality of Bardiya, has been delayed due to a shortage of budget. The Karnali Sankatti Bridge, considered a key link between the Far West and Lumbini provinces, has faced setbacks as the allocated funds remain insufficient.

The project, with a total contract value of Rs 1.18 billion (including VAT), has seen slow progress because of limited annual budget allocations. According to Rasuwa Construction Manager Krishna Dhungel, the bridge could be operational by next Dashain if the government ensures Rs 450 million in funding. However, the government has allocated only Rs 100 million for the current fiscal year, while the company has requested an additional Rs 350 million.

“If we had a budget of Rs 450 million this year, we could have completed the bridge and brought it into operation,” Dhungel said. “With only Rs 100 million allocated, the work will not be finished even next year.”

So far, 67 percent of the construction work has been completed, with 13 out of 14 pillars built. The slab work for four pillars has been completed from the Bardiya side. Dhungel added that if the required budget is secured, there would be no shortage of manpower or equipment to complete the project.

The bridge has a completion deadline of Magh 2083 BS. Due to the Karnali River’s strong flow, construction can only proceed for seven months each year, while work remains halted for the remaining five months. The company plans to resume work after Chhath.

“We have received strong support from locals during construction,” Dhungel said. “People are eager to see the bridge completed, but the insufficient government budget has slowed progress.”

The completion of the bridge is expected to benefit Tikapur economically, with local businesses anticipating increased trade opportunities with Geruwa. Former President of the Tikapur Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ram Bahadur Bhandari, said, “We worked hard through the Chamber to push for this bridge, believing it would boost Tikapur’s business prospects.”

Locals also hope the bridge will end their long-standing reliance on boats to cross the Karnali River. “Traveling to Geruwa Shantibazaar through Sankatti is faster, but crossing by boat is risky,” said local resident Rajendra Bishwakarma. “Once the bridge is completed, that risk will be gone, and the distance between Bardiya and Tikapur will finally be reduced.”