Kathmandu, November 13
Hotel businesses on both sides of the Dodhara Chandani suspension bridge in Kanchanpur have been badly affected after the bridge collapsed, bringing movement across it to a halt.
The bridge, which connects Dodhara Chandani Municipality with Bhimdatta Municipality, was severely damaged by floods in the Mahakali River on September 30. Since then, the number of domestic and foreign tourists visiting the area has declined.
“After one of the bridge’s pillars collapsed, it felt as though the doors of our business had been shut,” said hotel operator Mohan Bahadur Singh. “The local administration has locked both ends of the bridge. With movement completely stopped, our businesses have been devastated.”
A technical team that inspected the damaged bridge has submitted a report estimating that reconstruction would cost Rs 200 million and take around a year to complete.
Singh said the Dashain and Tihar festivals usually brought large numbers of tourists to the area, making the festive season a major source of income for local businesses.
“Even now, people come to see the suspension bridge via the four-lane bridge, but the environment is not suitable for visitors,” he said.
The suspension bridge had also served as a shorter route for two-wheelers and pedestrians travelling between Dodhara Chandani and the surrounding areas.
“The water level in the Mahakali has already receded. The government should now start reconstruction,” Singh said, adding that businesses on both sides of the bridge remained worried until it was rebuilt. “We used to earn Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 a day. Now business has come to a complete standstill.”
Ram Chandra Bohara, ward chair of Bhimdatta Municipality-13, said the bridge, which used to be crowded during festivals, had remained deserted this year.
“During Dashain and Tihar, around 2,000 to 3,000 tourists would visit the area every day,” he said.
Bohara added that educational excursions during the winter season also contributed significantly to local businesses. The bridge closure, he said, had affected several sectors in the area.
He stressed the need for immediate action to rebuild the bridge.
“Representatives and political leaders visited the site to assess the situation after the bridge collapsed, but there has been no visible progress towards reconstruction,” he said.
The Sudurpaschim provincial government has allocated Rs 10 million for the bridge’s reconstruction.
Dinesh Malla, president of the Kanchanpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry, also called for reconstruction to begin without delay. He said the bridge was important not only for facilitating movement but also as a recognised tourist attraction in Kanchanpur.
“If the bridge is not rebuilt on time, tourist arrivals could decline further,” Malla said. “Rebuilding it quickly is also necessary to promote tourism.”
