The absence of a bridge has caused the Bauli Khola to overflow during the monsoon, completely disrupting transportation. Patients, pregnant women, new mothers, and citizens with disabilities have faced difficulties accessing timely health services. Students are forced to risk crossing the river on foot, while farmers have suffered economic losses as they are unable to transport their produce to the market.
Vehicles are forced to stop at the riverbank, compelling passengers to walk for hours. Locals have raised concerns that the risk of accidents is particularly high during the rainy season. The lack of a bridge has affected residents of Ward 7 and 8 of Badimalika Municipality, four local units in the eastern and northern regions, as well as the general public in Humla, Mugu, and Kalikot districts.
Chief District Officer Niraula warned that if progress is not made, legal action will be taken, and the contractor company will be blacklisted. District Coordination Committee Chief Rokaya also emphasized that such delays are unacceptable and assured that monitoring of the construction will continue.
The District Administration Office, Bajura, has stated that coordination has been intensified to ensure the timely completion of ongoing construction projects. Meanwhile, a permanent bridge constructed over the nearby Anai Khola was completed and made operational within a year.
According to the Road Division Office, the bridge, which was supposed to be completed within 16 months as per the contract, has only achieved 21 percent physical progress so far. Engineer Debendra Swarn stated that the delay in construction is primarily due to the contractor’s negligence rather than budgetary or technical issues.
On November 1, 2022, the TDR–Jugal Kaushik JV, based in Dhangadhi, signed a contract worth Rs. 55,888,270, committing to complete the bridge by February 27, 2022. However, despite the long passage of the contract period, the work remains incomplete, causing local residents significant hardship, especially during the rainy season.