Bheri bridge remains in ruins four years after collapse

Nearly four years after landslides severely damaged a suspension bridge over the Bheri river on the Salyan-Jajarkot border, the structure remains unrepaired. This forces residents to make risky crossings for essential services, highlighting a critical infrastructure failure.

The bridge, which connects Salyan with Chhedagad bazaar in neighboring Jajarkot, is steep and sags precariously. Despite the danger of it swaying violently in the wind, residents, students, and patients from several villages continue to use it because they have no alternative. They face a difficult choice: risk their lives on the damaged bridge or undertake a trek of more than three hours to reach healthcare facilities and schools within their own municipality.

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When the landslide struck, the edges of the bridge became steep, and the middle section sagged heavily. It swings violently when the wind blows. Only the bravest dare to cross. Men who absolutely must go to the market grip the wire mesh and suspension cables just to make their way to the other side.

Residents report that the bridge initially collapsed on October 4, 2022, following monsoon-induced landslides. Repeated appeals to local, provincial, and federal governments have yielded no repairs. This has left communities struggling to access healthcare, education, and daily necessities. During the monsoon, parents physically escort children across the precarious bridge to school, and only one person can cross safely at a time due to its instability.

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Because the river is swollen, we cannot safely transport patients at night. People in the village are being deprived of timely medical treatment, and selling our local produce has become incredibly difficult.

"When the landslide struck, the edges of the bridge became steep, and the middle section sagged heavily," said local resident Gopilal Acharya. "It swings violently when the wind blows. Only the bravest dare to cross. Men who absolutely must go to the market grip the wire mesh and suspension cables just to make their way to the other side." The absence of a safe crossing has also increased the burden on families who depend on Chhedabazar for food and other household supplies. Chandra Roka, another local, noted the difficulties for patients, stating, "Because the river is swollen, we cannot safely transport patients at night. People in the village are being deprived of timely medical treatment, and selling our local produce has become incredibly difficult."

The 157-meter bridge, constructed in 2015 at a cost of approximately Rs5 million to Rs6 million, had previously ended residents' dangerous reliance on inner tubes to cross the Bheri. Now, according to resident Ishwar Batha, "we are forced to risk our lives again just to buy daily groceries." Ward chairman Man Bahadur Khatri confirmed that his repeated appeals to higher authorities had yielded no results, with political leaders offering only assurances of allocated budgets and upcoming work.

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Now that it has collapsed, we are forced to risk our lives again just to buy daily groceries.