Mustang, April 6: Unpaved roads have been expanded in all five wards of Loghekar Damodarkunda Rural Municipality in Upper Mustang. The lack of a bridge in one ward of the municipality has been a problem for locals and tourists for years.
The lack of a bridge over the ‘Dhye’ river, a confluence of the Kaligandaki River, connecting Loghekar Damodarkunda-1 Charang, which is connected by the main highway, to Loghekar Damodarkunda-5 across the Kaligandaki, Dhye and Tangya villages, has made it difficult for citizens and tourists in the area to travel during the rainy season. A tourist trail crosses the ‘Dhye’ river from Charang in Mustang and connects Dhye and Tangya villages to Nafu in Manang. The need for a bridge was felt there as there is a short-distance tourist trail from Upper Mustang to Manang via Dhye and Tangya.
Although the need for a bridge over the Dhye River, a confluence of the northern Korala Pass and other tributaries including the Damodarkunda, has been felt for a long time, no bridge has been built there yet. The lack of a bridge over the Kaligandaki Dhye River, which connects Dhyegaun and Tangya villages with the rural municipality center Charang and Korala road, informed Pasang Gurung, ward chair of Loghekar Damodarkunda-5. Due to the lack of a bridge over the Dhye River, the citizens of Dhye and Tangya villages have been facing problems in commuting to the municipal center and the district headquarters, Jomsom.
“During the rainy season, the flow of the Kaligandaki Dhyekhola is high, and it is impossible to cross the river,” said Ward Chairman Gurung. “For three to four months during the rainy season, it is like a complete blockade has been imposed on our village. Without a bridge, it is impossible to move around.”
Ward Chairman Gurung said that the lack of a bridge has also created problems in marketing agricultural produce and livestock in the geographically remote villages of Dhye and Tangya. “During the rainy season, the river becomes too big to cross,” he said. “However, in the winter, when the river recedes, people have to cross it to get around.”
Along the main highway, one can reach Dhye and Tangya villages by descending for an hour from Charang, the municipality’s center, crossing the Dhye River and climbing for a few minutes. Although these two villages are connected by a dirt road, the problem is the lack of a bridge over the Dhye River. Ward Chairman Gurung mentioned that the citizens of that area transport food and daily necessities during the rainy season and store them only after the river level decreases during the winter.
After federalization, the rural municipality had been taking the initiative to build a bridge here to connect Loghekar Damodarkunda-1 and 5. A scientific study and survey were also conducted for the construction of the bridge over the Dhyekhola, which is spread over a distance of about 500 meters. Although two government agencies prepared a detailed project report (DPR), the government has not allocated budget for the bridge there, which has caused problems. The citizens of the area, who depend on agriculture and animal husbandry, are hoping that the government will build the bridge.
Earlier, the Directorate of Infrastructure Development had prepared a DPR for the construction of a bridge connecting Dhye and Tangya villages. The Local Infrastructure Department (DOLI) had also conducted a survey for the construction of a bridge in Dhyekhola. Lopsang Chomphel Bista, chairman of Loghekar Damodarkunda Rural Municipality, said that despite repeated attempts to build a bridge in Dhyekhola, it could not be built. He said that the bridge could not be built due to lack of necessary budget.
