Kamala Bridge Construction Lags, Locals Face Risky Journeys

Janakpurdham. Locals are forced to travel at risk due to negligence in the construction of the Kamala bridge under the Dhanusha-Mahottari Hulaki road. The Kamala bridge, which is a government priority, is still not fully constructed. Construction began 15 years ago, but it is uncertain when the bridge will be completed. Although the Kamala bridge, which has been in the news across the country, has heard of initiatives from the central, provincial, and local governments, the bridge is still not built. Due to the incomplete bridge, locals are forced to travel by boat when the river water rises during the monsoon. When the water is low, they have to travel at risk by boat or bamboo rafts. The construction of this bridge, which directly connects the eastern region with Janakpurdham, has been causing daily hardship to the locals. According to the contract agreement signed in June 2068 BS, the construction was supposed to be completed by November 2071 BS. However, due to contractor changes, repeated deadline extensions, and failure to complete the construction work, locals are still forced to travel at risk. Local Debu Raut from Siraha says, 'The journey is difficult. The contractor is to blame. They don't care at all.' Sita Sharan Thakur of Loharpatti Municipality in Mahottari says, 'There is a lot of risk. It is the shortest route to Siraha, so we use this route. For years, we have been hearing that the incomplete bridge will be completed, but it hasn't happened yet. We have to risk our lives to cross the bridge.' The work, which was supposed to be completed in 2071 BS, was left incomplete by the then contractor Pappu Construction. In 2076 BS, Pappu was removed as the main contractor and the construction work was handed over to Lumbini Builders. However, while the work was ongoing, floods in the Kamala river in 2078 BS caused the foundations of two pillars to collapse, adding new problems to the construction. Since then, due to disputes between construction companies and budget shortages, the Kamala bridge has become a matter of great concern for the government and locals, but it has not been built despite repeated deadline extensions. Four federal elections have been completed since the contract was signed in 2068 BS. In every election, leaders from Siraha and Dhanusha have made the Kamala bridge a main agenda, but the bridge is still incomplete. Leaders at the central level of various parties, including Kulman Ghising, Sudhan Gurung, and Bablu Gupta, had assured that the construction would be completed soon after inspecting the bridge. However, locals complain that those assurances have only remained in photos and news. Local Kashi Safi from Siraha says, 'During elections, leaders tell us to vote for them, and the incomplete bridge work will be completed. Our hopes rise, but after they win, we are disappointed again.' Another local, Ramsagar Pandit, says, 'It's been 70 years. I don't know if I will see the bridge completed in this lifetime. Neither the central nor the provincial government nor any minister seems concerned about its maintenance.' The struggle committee has been urging the federal and provincial governments to expedite the construction of the Kamala bridge. The provincial government had agreed with the struggle committee to pursue the federal government to ensure the necessary budget for bridge construction and to manage the budget from the provincial government's resources by preparing the DPR by November 2081 BS. However, Engineer Yadav, the coordinator of the struggle committee, accused the provincial government of not being serious, stating that the agreement has not been implemented. According to Yadav, a memorandum was submitted to the Speaker of the Provincial Assembly on Jestha 18, demanding immediate budget allocation for construction. Although the Speaker assured that the matter would be discussed in the assembly and work would proceed, he said that they feel cheated again as there has been no progress so far. The local residents, passengers, and businessmen are still suffering due to the delay in the completion of the Kamala bridge construction. The delay in construction has directly affected transportation, movement, economic activities, and daily life. Despite repeated deadline extensions, the bridge has not been fully operational, raising questions about the effectiveness of construction management and implementation. It is necessary for the concerned bodies to expedite the construction work and complete the bridge quickly to provide convenient services to the general public.