Construction Begins on Permanent Bridge Over Wantang Khola in Tanahun Under Hydropower Project CSR

Construction has commenced on a permanent bridge over the Wantang Khola in Bhimad Municipality-5, Tanahun. The 130-meter-long bridge is being built under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative of the under-construction 140 MW Tanahun Hydropower Project.

Project Chief Shyamji Bhandari informed that after the bridge design was approved, the contractor began excavating the foundation on the left bank of the river.

A contract was signed with Sapana Nirman Pvt. Ltd. on B.S. 2081 Fagun 28 to design and construct a permanent bridge structure for the Wantang Khola, which falls under the Bhimad-Rishung section that will be submerged due to the project's reservoir. The construction is scheduled to be completed within 30 months of the contract signing. The contract, based on a design-and-build model where the contractor handles both design and construction, was signed for NPR 23.07 crore (including VAT).

Bhimad Municipality Mayor Dadhiraj Subedi stated that thousands of residents in this area faced hardship during the monsoon season due to the lack of a bridge over this river, which connects Bhimad to various wards of Rishung Rural Municipality.

Wantang Khola is a tributary of the Seti River. The project is constructing a 140-meter-high dam at the border of Byas Municipality-5 and Rishung Rural Municipality-1. The project stated that the permanent bridge is being built to facilitate movement, as the reservoir, which will reach up to 415 meters above sea level, would otherwise obstruct the movement of local residents in that area.