Residents in Rupandehi Forced to Use Risky Temporary Crossings Due to Lack of Permanent Bridge

Rupandehi. Residents in the Bhawahi-Bhatauliya area, falling under Sammarimai Rural Municipality-3 in Rupandehi's Marchwar region, are still compelled to undertake risky commutes. Due to the absence of a permanent bridge over the Danav River, locals have to rely on temporary wooden rafts and bamboo bridges for their daily travel.

According to Kail Lodh, a local from Bhawahi in Lumbini Cultural Municipality-12, Bhatauliya is on this side of the river, and Bhawahi is on the other. Currently, a local boatman from Dube Thumhwa has constructed a temporary bamboo bridge to ferry people across the river.

"He goes through great trouble to build the bridge. This sustains his livelihood, and it makes commuting easier for us," he said, "But because there is no permanent bridge here, there is always a risk. People could get injured due to fear of the bridge collapsing, and vehicles could also be damaged."

According to him, this route is an important path connecting Amahwa to Banjari Chowk. Locals demand the construction of a bridge here as this route is also used to reach the Nepal-India border via Lumbini directly from Marchwar.

Another local from Bhawahi, Dharmendra Lodh, stated that the problem worsens during the monsoon season due to the lack of a bridge. He mentioned that even though a temporary bamboo bridge is currently in place over the river, it becomes unusable once the rains start.

"It is somewhat convenient now, but once the monsoon begins, we have to wade through the water," he said. "If there were a permanent bridge here, we could commute smoothly even during the rains. Without a bridge, we sometimes have to take detours via Ajma, Dumuhan, or the border area."

According to local Kumar Lodh, commuting is even more difficult because the farmlands of farmers residing on both sides of the river are located across the river. "People on this side have their fields on the other side, and those living on the other side have their fields here," he said. "When floods occur, no one can travel. Therefore, a permanent bridge here is extremely necessary."

A boatman family has been responsible for constructing the temporary bamboo bridge over the river with the support of the locals. They cut and gather bamboo about a month in advance and take about 15 days to complete the bridge. Basmati Mallah waits at the ghat all day for the completed bridge.

Basmati says that the three members of her family who build the bridge earn anywhere from 100, 150, to 200 rupees daily. Commuters pay 'Mallah' (fare) of 5, 10, or 20 rupees according to their capacity. "Our salt, oil, and household expenses are covered by the income from this ghat," Basmati said. "We do not have our own farmlands. This ghat is our main source of income."

She mentioned that while some locals give cash, they often receive goods like paddy, rice, and wheat from locals as payment. She stated that they receive four to ten pathis (a local unit of measure) of grain per household in exchange for the service.

People from about one thousand households across 10-12 surrounding villages use this route, and locals have been demanding a permanent bridge from the government for years. According to the residents, although the bamboo bridge has made travel possible so far, a permanent bridge construction is now indispensable for a lasting solution.