Boat Service on Arun River Eases Travel for Remote Eastern Nepal Residents

Bhojpur. The operation of a boat service running on water from Kopche in Hatuwagadhi Rural Municipality-9, Bhojpur, to Barahkshetra has made travel easier for local residents. The water journey has shortened the distance for citizens in the southern region to Terai cities like Dharan, Itahari, and Biratnagar.

For years, locals faced problems commuting due to the lack of bridges over major rivers like the Dudhkoshi and Arun. Now, with the boat operating on the Arun River, daily travel has become smoother.

The operation of the boat has created a situation where locals can travel to Terai cities and return home the same day, said local Indra Thapa. He mentioned that the water journey has made things much easier compared to the previous necessity of walking for three to four hours via steep paths to reach Chatara. He informed that the approximately 19-kilometer distance via the waterway can be covered in just 20 to 25 minutes.

“The boat operation has brought great relief to the citizens of the southern region,” Thapa said. “There are problems with road travel due to the absence of bridges over the river. Now, with the water journey, an environment has been created to travel to Terai cities and return on the same day.”

The fare for the water journey up to Barahkshetra is Rs 500. Local Milan Rai stated that the operation of the jet boat on the Arun River has also made it easier to quickly transport patients to larger hospitals in the Terai. He noted that the waterway has become very useful for citizens in the southern region, as traveling via Bhojpur headquarters, Leguwa-Hile-Dhankuta to descend to the Terai covers a distance of about 200 kilometers.

“Traveling via Bhojpur headquarters used to be a very long distance for us citizens of the southern region,” Rai said. “Now, when someone is sick, they can reach the city quickly for treatment. This has directly benefited the locals.”

Hatuwagadhi Rural Municipality has stated that the boat operation has made it easier to connect Bhojpur, Dhankuta, and Sunsari with the eastern Terai. Chairman Prem Kumar Rai informed that the municipality is working on developing tourism infrastructure with the goal of linking the water journey with tourism.

Chairman Rai stated that since the distance from the Hatuwagadhi area to the Terai districts is shorter, this will contribute to the development here. “The operation of the water jet boat has made things much easier for the citizens here,” Chairman Rai said. “There are problems with vehicle movement due to the delay in constructing bridges over major rivers like the Dudhkoshi and Arun. We are advancing development work by linking the water journey with tourism.”