A few months ago, Sabina Khadka, 16, of Khalanga village of Rukum, was crossing the same river walking over a bundle of bamboos laid down as a temporary bridge. Sabina suddenly slipped off the bundle and disappeared in the river. Sabina´s family had to perform her last rites without having her body recovered. [break]
Dozens of villagers lose their lives every year in Rukum by falling into the river as there are no sufficient suspension bridges in Rukum. Villagers either rely on traditional twin rope contraptions or temporary bridges. And, the both ways of crossing the river are perilous.
“The government has not constructed suspension bridges even where we urgently need them,” says Mahesh KC, a local resident. “We have been forced to risk our lives just to cross a river.”
In several parts of Sano-Bheri and Thulo-Bheri rivers, there are no suspension bridges. The existing bridges and twin rope contraptions are also in a miserable condition.
According to locals, in the last five months alone, nine villagers have lost their lives while crossing rivers using twin rope contraptions.
People of Gotamkot, Syalkhadi, Aathbiskot, Dandagaun, Ghetma, Garyayala, Purtimkanda, Simli, Jhula, Baphikot, Pipal, Syalpakha, Pokhara, Pwang, Morawang and Rukumkot VDCs, among others, have no choices but twin rope contraptions for crossing rivers.
According to government engineer Pahal Bahadur Pun, Rukum is in the dire need of at least 170 suspension bridges. However, the government is currently constructing only seven suspension bridges.
“We are carrying out surveys for building more bridges,” Pun said. He says that the existing bridges are also in a deplorable situation. “Villagers can not freely cross rivers by these bridges,” he said.
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