KANCHANPUR, Oct 2: The collapse of a historic suspension bridge over the Mahakali River has left residents of Dodhara Chandani Municipality in Kanchanpur disheartened, as the structure had long served as a vital link connecting the remote settlement with the rest of the country.
Seventy-seven-year-old Bhim Bahadur Singh, a former ward member of Dodhara Chandani-4, was seen inspecting the damaged bridge on Thursday. Until 2003, Singh had operated a boat service across the Mahakali River to ferry locals. After the suspension bridge was built, he shifted to business.
“I was moved to tears seeing the condition of this historic bridge,” Singh said. “It was a landmark that introduced Dodhara Chandani to people across the country and abroad. We have lost an important part of our identity.”
The bridge became impassable on Wednesday morning after its third pillar, on the Dodhara Chandani side, collapsed. Singh said its reconstruction should not be delayed, as the closure has affected not only local movement but also tourism and businesses around the bridge, particularly during the Dashain and Tihar festival season.
Dodhara-Chandani suspension bridge collapses into Mahakali
Dodhara Chandani, a settlement near the Indian border, was established around 1965. Before the suspension bridge was built, locals had to travel through India using the Banbasa Bridge or cross the Mahakali River by boat to reach other parts of the district.
The bridge, whose construction began in 2001, ended that dependence on Indian routes and made travel easier. Its construction also helped transform the once geographically remote settlement into a place increasingly associated with development and tourism. Subsequent infrastructure projects, including a four-lane bridge over the Mahakali River, an access road and a dry port, have further contributed to the area's economic growth.
“I operated boats on the Mahakali for 20 consecutive years from 1978. We could never have imagined the level of development seen here today,” Singh said, adding that the collapse of the bridge that first connected Dodhara Chandani to the country's mainstream was deeply upsetting.
Local resident Tika Bhatta said the four-lane bridge had eased transportation difficulties following the collapse, but residents shared a special attachment to the suspension bridge. He described it as a tourism landmark of the entire Sudurpaschim region and called for its speedy reconstruction.
Sudurpaschim Province Minister for Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment Prakash Rawal also stressed the need to rebuild the bridge promptly to preserve the area as a major tourist destination. He said preparations had been underway to allocate funds for installing lights to enhance the bridge's appearance when it was damaged.
Former Home Affairs Minister and lawmaker Ramesh Lekhak also called for the early reconstruction of the historic structure, saying it had connected Dodhara Chandani directly with the rest of the country when road links were unavailable, and life was difficult.
Meanwhile, Ram Bahadur Bohara, ward chair of Bheemdatt Municipality-13, said the government had failed to give adequate attention to the maintenance of the bridge, which was built 22 years ago. He called for a technical assessment and timely reconstruction, noting that the bridge had been both a tourist attraction and a source of livelihood for local people.
“The suspension bridge had become the identity of Dodhara Chandani and the settlements around it. Tourists visiting Kanchanpur rarely returned without seeing it,” Bohara said, urging all levels of government to take its restoration seriously.
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