In the absence of a bridge over the Karnali river, Limi village in Namkha Rural Municipality Ward No. 6, Humla, gets disconnected from the district headquarters of Simkot every monsoon.

For Limi residents, crossing the Karnali river is the only way to and from Simkot. But during the monsoon season, the river gets swollen with rainwater, making it difficult to cross.

“We can easily cross the river during winter but in monsoon, it’s very difficult to do so,” said Gimet Tamang, a resident of Haljigaun in Limi. “But we can’t stay away from Simkot for the duration of the monsoon so we risk our lives to swim or wade across the river.”

The local residents have been demanding the authorities to construct a bridge in the Tumling area but to no avail.

“We need a bridge to cross the river safely. It’s very dangerous for our children, disabled people and senior citizens to cross the river,” said Tamang.

The alternate route to Simkot is across Ling stream but there is no bridge over the stream either.

“We cannot cross the Karnali river by ourselves. We have to make a human chain of four to five people and wade across,” said Pasang Lama, a resident of Limi.

Hira Sharma, the secretary of Limi Ward No. 6, recently reached Limi for the distribution of social security allowances. “I along with my three friends had to wade through the river in a group. Those who cannot cross the river are unable to come to the district headquarters,” Sharma said.

According to Lama, they have requested the concerned authorities to construct a bridge in the area time and again, but to no avail. The local authorities say they can’t do much without the help of the provincial and federal governments.

“We have repeatedly requested the provincial and federal governments to construct a bridge in the Tumling area but they pay no heed to us,” Paljor Tamang, chairman of Ward No. 6 of Namkha Rural Municipality, told the Post.

“The water level will recede in December and people can then easily cross the Karnali river. Until then, they have to risk their lives while crossing the rain-swollen river,” said Tamang. “The local unit does not have sufficient budget to construct a bridge. The provincial and federal governments do not care for our problem.”

The population of Limi, which covers Til, Jang and Halji villages, is around 1,100.