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The destruction of a wooden bridge of Syapre stream of Simkot Rural Municipality-4 due to flood and landslide has obstructed the educational journey of thirty-five students. These children have not been able to commute to their school which is located in the headquarters of the district. The children have complained that the concerned body has delayed the reconstruction of the wooden bridge.

Ganesh Bohara, a student of Grade 10 of Bal Mandir Secondary School have complained that he had to commute through a risky way due to the lack of a bridge over the stream.

The wooden bridge was swiped away by a landslide that occurred on September 11, 2021. Locals of Simkot Rural Municipality-1 and Dojam of ward no. 2’s Thehe are having difficulty in commuting after a part of the canal distributed by the Heldung Sana Hydropower Project sunk.

Asmita Bhandari, a student of Grade 9 of Mansarowar Secondary School complained that she had to cross the stream every morning taking risks to reach the school. According to her, if the wooden bridge had been built on time, it would have been easier for them to travel.

Dantabir Sunar, a local has shared that the locals of Thehe and Dojam had difficulty in going to the district headquarters Simkot to groceries after the water level raised in the stream due to a landslide.

As Nepal Food Management and Trade Company Limited Humla had started distributing food grains in the ward on September 30, locals had to go to the district headquarters Simkot.

Sunar further informed that it is difficult for them to cross the stream due to the lack of the bridge and the area itself is not safe for them to travel. The number of people crossing the river on a regular basis has increased. Sunar told INSEC that even livestock was transported across the stream. He complained that the locals of the two wards have to cross the river to procure food grains and other necessities from the district headquarters.

Pedestrians grieved that it has been difficult to commute and transport livestock directly after the flood and landslide swept away the wooden bridge of Syapre stream.

The Simkot Rural Municipality has allocated NRs. 70,000 for the reconstruct the wooden bridge, said Padma Bahadur Lama, chairperson of the rural municipality. According to a labourer Dhan Sunar, the amount allocated by the rural municipality was not sufficient and predicted that the problem would repeat itself.

Similarly, about 18 households of Syapre village in Simkot Rural Municipality-4 are at high risk of floods and landslides. Earlier, in 2014, a landslide had displaced the people of Syapre village, said local Dakhal Mahat. Despite repeated attempts to relocate the settlement of Syapre village no hearing has been held so far, added Mahat.

Nanda Singh