The Bhotekoshi Rural Municipality-2, with the help of the Road Division Office, installed a ‘tuin’ over Bhotekoshi River at Larcha, Sindhupalchok a few days ago.
Tuin, or Twine, is a rope-and-pulley system with or without a metal or a wooden trolley used for crossing a river.
The temporary structure has been set up after the raging river, following incessant rain, swept away a bailey bridge last Saturday, September 28, disconnecting the residents of Lipinig village, which borders China, from the rest of the country.
The destruction of the bridge, along the Kodari Highway, has also brought Nepal’s cross border trade with China through the Tatopani-Khasa route to a standstill.
Nepal conducts most of its trade with China through the Rasuwagadhi-Kerung and Tatopani-Khasa routes. Before the disaster, around 22 containers on average brought goods to the Tatopani Customs daily.
Kumar Shrestha, Chair of Bhotekoshi Rural Municipality-2, told the New Business Age over the phone on Friday, October 4, that the tuin was installed and brought into operation on Tuesday, October 1, three days after the disaster.
Shrestha, however, added that it was made to facilitate the movement of people and transportation of goods in a difficult time and the local government has already brought into operation a ‘ Fadke’, or a makeshift bridge, for people.
Constructing new tuins goes against the government’s policy of bringing their use to an end.
After widespread criticism of the government following the growing incidents of tuin-related deaths, then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli in 2015 vowed to end the use of tuins at the earliest . While a policy for the removal of such a risky option for crossing rivers was brought the following year, the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration in 2018 instructed all local units, in writing, to stop constructing new tuins .
While many tuins have been removed in the following years, they still remain the only option for people in some remote areas to cross the river.
Shrestha added that the use of the new tuin at Larcha has been limited to transportation of goods.
Meanwhile, work is also near completion to make a temporary arrangement to resume the movement of small vehicles, infomed Shrestha.
Ashok Shrestha, Former President of the Nepal Trans Himalayan Border Commerce Association, had told the New Business Age last week that the loss of the bailey bridge at Larcha would severely affect the cross border trade. “The state needs to immediately take the initiative to install and repair the bridges,” said Shrestha.
The rain-induced disasters last week caused extensive damage to roads and bridges, placing a significant financial burden on the government to ensure the sustainable operation of these essential infrastructure.
The Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport has estimated that it will cost between Rs 20 and Rs 25 billion to fully repair and reconstruct the roads and bridges damaged by recent disasters, according to RSS.
(With inputs from RSS)
