Bridges are generally built so that travellers can cross the streams beneath with little risk. But a suspension bridge over the Tinau river in Marchawar of Rupandehi district is different. This bridge connects Bhuwari village to Beninagar of Kotahimai Rural Municipality and, instead of minimising risks, it adds to them.

The suspension bridge has shortened the travel time for the local people. But for children, elderly people, disabled and visually impaired people, it is difficult to use. There are makeshift ladders made of bamboo on both sides which travellers have to climb to cross the bridge.

“The villagers have no other alternative to cross the river,” said Manish Shriwastav, a local of Bhuwari settlement. “Climbing the poorly built ladders to reach the bridge is quite risky. The school children suffer most.”

People were forced to install ladders due to the absence of approach roads on both sides of the recently built bridge.

“Politicians do not walk on this bridge. Who cares if the commoners fall off the ladders and get injured?” Manish said. “We have been raising the problem time and again but it is yet to be addressed.” According to him, dozens of children from Kotahimai-5 use the bridge to reach their school at Majhgaun.

“Many students fall off the ladders and get injured on their way to and from school,” Manish said.

The construction of the bridge began three years ago by forming a consumers’ committee. A total of Rs6.2 million budget was allocated under the Local Infrastructure Development Partnership Programme while Kotahimai Rural Municipality pitched in Rs1 million for the construction. The bridge is a few metres higher than the road and the approach way is yet to be constructed.

Generally, the local people wade across the river on their motorcycles and bicycles during the dry season. But, during the rainy season, they have no alternative to carry their bicycles and cross the bridge.

According to the villagers, many people have been injured after falling off the makeshift bamboo ladders. “The ladders are quite difficult to use,” said Soharat Ahir, another local, who is 70. “People fall off the ladders and get injured time and again. One Harish Chandra, for instance, fractured his leg last week as he fell off. How long should we endure this ordeal?”

The students complain that their studies have been affected due to the lack of approach to the suspension bridge. “Many school students cannot carry cycles on their shoulders and cross the bridge,” said Santosh Maurak, a local student. “We would be late to school if we walked on foot.”

The local unit and the consumers’ committee blame each other for the delayed construction of the approach road.

Nabaraj Bhandari, an engineer of Kotahimai Rural Municipality, said his office is “serious about the hardships of the villagers.”

“The project deadline has been extended four times, in the belief that the consumers’ committee will complete the work soon but the committee has been careless,” said. According to him, the local unit allocated Rs1 million budget in the current fiscal year for the project’s completion.

The rural municipality claims a new project agreement to complete the approach way of the suspension bridge cannot be signed due to the stance of the erstwhile consumers’ committee. The committee, according to the rural municipality, demands a new contract as it incurred financial loss in the previous construction work.

Meanwhile, Om Prakash Chaudhary, chairman of the then consumers’ committee, blames the local unit for the construction delay. “The rural municipality designated a non-governmental organisation for monitoring and consulting service,” Chaudhary said. “And that delayed construction.”