Not very long ago, 45-year-old Lakshmi Limbu, from Maidane village in Chainpur Municipality Ward 1, used to walk two hours every day on a winding route over hills and

across Niduwa River to reach Madi bazaar in Madi Municipality Ward 1. Limbu goes to Madi bazaar to sell seasonal vegetables she grows in her fields back home. The shortest route to the bazaar is crossing the river which she could do only during the dry season. The rest of the year she had to take a long detour.

The construction of an 87-metre suspension bridge across the river last year made life easier for Limbu and others like her, cutting the distance by more than one and a half hours.

“It used to take two hours to reach the market and more than two hours to return home. But now it only takes half an hour to reach Madi,” said Limbu. “People from our village and our neighbouring villages rely on Madi bazaar to make a living and even to get health services since the closest health centre is in Madi. The health centre in our municipality is at least five hours away from Maidane village”

The suspension bridge in Gupha Pokhari of Chainpur Ward 1 that connects several villages to Madi was built by the Infrastructure Development Office, Sankhuwasabha in the fiscal year 2021-22. The operation of the bridge has come as a relief to more than 300 families.

The operation of another suspension bridge over the Bendakasuwa River connecting wards 5 and 6 of Makalu Rural Municipality one year ago has benefitted more than 400 families.

The 133-metre-long suspension bridge has changed the lives of the villagers, says Buddhiman Rai of Makalu Ward 5. “More than 200 students attend schools—Waling Basic School and Deepjyoti Basic School—in Ward 6.

It was always risky to send the children to school since they had to cross the Bendakasuwa River,” said Rai. “I have two children and several other nephews and nieces who go to school in Ward 6. I would always be worried about them, especially during the rainy season. But now that the suspension bridge is in operation, we all are less worried.”

According to Shailendra Singh, chief engineer of the Infrastructure Development Office, Sankhuwasabha, the construction of 20 suspension bridges was started three years ago, focusing on the rural areas of the hilly region of the district. So far, 11 of them have been completed and put into operation. The office aims to complete the construction of the other nine suspension bridges in the current fiscal year, says Singh.

“The completion of the project was delayed due to several reasons, but mostly due to the Covid pandemic,” said Singh. “Thousands of families have benefitted from the operation of suspension bridges. We aim to complete the construction of all the bridges soon.”

According to the Office, the construction of a suspension bridge costs at least Rs3.5 million to Rs4 million. The length of the recently constructed bridges ranges from 68 metres to 133 metres. 

The Office will hand over the responsibility of the repair and maintenance of the bridges to the local units and consumer committees, says Singh.