Locals of Puchighat Cross SunKoshi by Hanging After Flood Damaged Bridge

  December 18, 2024 By: INSEC

Locals and students from Puchighat of Khadadevi Municipality-4 cross the Sun Koshi River by hanging due to the damaged suspension bridge. After the flood in the Sunkoshi River damaged the suspension bridge on September 28, 2024, 85 families of Puchighat who have to go to farming, market, school, and hospital are crossing Sunkoshi at risk.

photo20241218ramechhap

Bhim Bahadur Basnet, the ward member of Khadadevi Municipality-4, says that traveling this way increases the risk of accidents at any time. The ward office has requested locals not to cross the bridge, stating its hazardous condition. Bharat Majhi, a local, says that crossing the bridge by hanging poses significant risks, but locals are forced to do so. After the river damaged the bridge, the local Majhi community started boat service in the river. The Ministry of Home Affairs has also provided a rafting service through the municipality. However, as there are no people available to operate these resources when needed, locals are crossing the Sun Koshi River at risk.

Most of those who take risks to cross the bridge are students. As there is no school in the rural municipality, students from grades 9 to 12 have to travel to Khalte and Chainpur in Sindhuli. More than 20 students from the area cross the same dangerous bridge to attend school.

There is no certainty about when the bridge will be repaired. The flood in the Sun Koshi River has washed away two suspension bridges in Khadadevi Municipality and damaged two others. The Chairperson of Khadadevi Rural Municipality, Gyan Kumar Shrestha mentioned that since the local government cannot undertake the bridge construction, it has to rely on the central government.


Nabaraj Ghimire