Myanglung (Terhathum): The construction of a concrete bridge over the Lubughat-based Tamor River is yet to be completed, as 12 years have elapsed since its contract signing.
The construction of the bridge, linking Terhathum and Panchthar districts, has not gained momentum. It is uncertain how long it will take to complete the construction of the bridge. In the absence of the bridge’s construction, the residents of Kummayak in Panchthar have to walk seven to eight hours a week, carrying materials on their backs to reach Friday Hatia in Myanglung of Tehrathum.
From Myanglung in Tehrathum to Dharan, one has to travel 116 kilometers through Basantapur, Sidhuwa, Hile, and Dhankuta. After the bridge’s construction, Dharan can be reached directly through the Tamor corridor within half of its time. Hatia is near Kummayak Rural Municipality in Panchthar district. The goods produced in the village are taken to the Friday Hatia of Myanglung for sale. One has to return home with soap, salt, oil, clothes, and other items on their back from Myanglung. Ramesh Thapa, who had come to sell almonds from Bijuwapani in Kummayak Rural Municipality to Myanglung Friday Hatia, said,
“We thought that we would not have to carry a heavy load on the hill if the bridge was constructed.” A contract was signed with Swachchhanda Contractor Company in June 2011 for the construction of the bridge at a cost of Rs 130 million. The agreement was to complete the construction of the bridge by July 2018. Ram Kumar Dev, Chief of the Road Division Office, Dhankuta, mentioned that only 50 percent of the bridge’s work, which is 3 meters wide and 157 meters long, has been completed so far. “Out of the five pillars, only four have been constructed. We are extending the construction deadline till mid-July 2024″, he said.
Contractor company’s representative Ajay Lamichhane said that there was no road leading to the bridge from Myanglung when the construction of the bridge started and it took time to dig the road.
Arjan Dhungana of Myanglung and Dik Bahadur Karki of Laligurans municipality had lodged a complaint with the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA). Local residents of Myanglung have been putting pressure on the Myanglung Municipality and the District Administration Office, Tehrathum, by forming a committee to press for the construction of the bridge at Tamor.
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