Rasuwa Flood Lessons: Build Fewer, Taller and Longer Bridges

The flood that entered Nepal through the Rasuwagadhi border point on Aug. 26 left a clear lesson for Rasuwa: future bridges must be fewer, taller and longer.

As the Bhotekoshi River swept downstream, it damaged at least 41 motorable bridges. Thirty-five were completely washed away, leaving major crossings along the river route destroyed.

The road connecting Betrawati in Rasuwa to Mailung, Syafrubesi and Rasuwagadhi was also destroyed. The damage affected a 40-kilometre stretch of the route.

The scale of the destruction has focused attention on how bridges are built in the area. The central argument is straightforward: rather than constructing many smaller crossings, Nepal should build fewer bridges designed to withstand powerful floods, with greater height and length.