Kathmandu. A lack of a motorable bridge over rivers on the Ugratara-Melauli road has added a significant challenge for locals and travellers. Despite the road being paved, the absence of a bridge over the river in this section makes it difficult to travel during the rainy season, causing damage to vehicles, particularly motorcycles.

Local resident Ram Khatri said that his motorcycle was nearly swept away by the river when water entered the engine through the silencer. The incident cost him over seven thousand rupees in repairs. “Without a bridge at Basana Gad, vehicles are constantly at risk of damage,” he said, adding that many others face similar problems.

The Ugratara-Melauli road, which connects Dadeldhura’s Ugratara temple to Baitadi’s Lower Swarad areas and Melauli Bhagwati temple, has been under construction for nearly four decades. Initiated in 1985 under the leadership of the then Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand, the road aims to connect all wards of Dadeldhura’s Ajaymeru Rural Municipality, providing the shortest route to Baitadi’s remote Lower Swarad are.

However, even after almost four decades, only 18 km of the road in Dadeldhura has been paved. The absence of a bridge at Basana Gand continues to cause significant hardships for the locals. Navraj Bhatt, who drives a three-wheeler autorickshaw on the Amargadhi-Ajaymeru route, mentioned the severe difficulties posed by the lack of a bridge. “During the rainy season, the water flow in Basana Gad is so strong that passengers often find themselves stranded for days,” he said.

Last year, the Infrastructure Development Office allocated a budget of Rs. 10 million for constructing a bridge at Basana Gad. However, according to Navraj Rawal, the office head, the plan required additional funds and a multi-year contract. “We submitted the file to the Ministry of Finance for resource consent, but without financial approval, the bridge construction plan stalled,” he said.

Shivraj Bhatta, Chairman of Ajaymeru Rural Municipality Ward No. 2, expressed optimism that the bridge construction at Basana Gad would proceed in the current financial year. “Last year, the provincial government didn’t permit multi-year contracts due to the limited budget of Rs. 10 million,” he said. However, there is hope that the plan will be included in the new budget.

While a bridge has been constructed at Naulakot Gad within this road section, bridges are still lacking over the Surnaya River and other dams. Amargadhi Municipality 7 is working on constructing a 96 km long road from Ratagaun, with the Dadeldhura section paved from Ugratara temple to Chamda and the Baitadi section from Melauli to the Surnaya River’s top.(TRN)