Local authorities plan to make Makwanpur a Tuin-free district by the end of the running fiscal year.

The authorities, at the cost of Rs 72.4 million, are constructing 18 suspension bridges in eight local units of Makwanpur in the fiscal year 2019/20.

Until now, 66 suspension bridges have been constructed in various parts of the district. Chandra Yonjan, an engineer who monitors the construction of suspension bridges in the district, said authorities this fiscal year are replacing tuins (wire crossings) with suspension bridges in Bagmati and Raksirang rural municipalities.

“Suspension bridges are being constructed in Kokhari, Damrang, Kothari Sahitar and Ghorkote of Raksirang Rural Municipality, and Tenrang, Aamdanda and Chepang Kharka of Kailash Rural Municipality,” Yonjan said.

Ekraj Upreti, the chairman of Manahari Rural Municipality, said the office is constructing a suspension bridge in Manahari Rural Municipality. Likewise, a suspension bridge is also being built in Bagmati Rural Municipality.

“We have formed consumers committees to construct the bridges. The committees have already prepared a detailed project report,” Yonjan said.

In the remote areas of Makwanpur, where there are no bridges, tuins are the only means for people to cross rivers. But using tuins can be risky. Every year, several people lose their lives trying to cross rivers using tuins. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, during his first stint as the head of government in 2015, had pledged to replace all tuin crossings in the country with suspension bridges. The government had earmarked Rs3.25 billion for the project.

Following the government’s decision to replace 131 tuins in the country, 105 tuins have been substituted with suspension bridges. The construction work of the remaining 26 bridges is underway, authorities say.