KATHMANDU: The Nepal government has requested 40 Bailey bridges from China and the United Kingdom after floods in Bhotekoshi swept away 35 motorable bridges.
Prime Minister Balendra Shah said through social media that Nepal has requested 10 Bailey bridges from the UK and 30 from China to restore connectivity in the affected areas.
The government has asked the British Embassy in Kathmandu to provide 10 Bailey bridges longer than 70 meters with double-lane capacity as a grant.
Similarly, Nepal has requested 30 Bailey bridges from China for flood-affected areas.
Prime Minister Shah said the government is prioritizing the repair of damaged infrastructure wherever possible. Where repair is not feasible, reconstruction will be prioritized.
He said restoration work is also underway to bring communication and electricity services back to the affected areas. Electricity service remains to be restored to around 5.77 percent of households in the affected areas.
Under the Galchhi-Muglin road section, work has started at the Krishnabhir hillside to open a temporary track above the existing gabion breast wall.
Tree cutting and hillside excavation began on Thursday to make the route usable for vehicles.
For a long-term solution at Krishnabhir, the government will study options including a tunnel, soil nailing and sheet piling.
Shah said the government aims to restore vehicle movement along the affected road section within Bhadau. A diversion has already been constructed at Parewabhir, allowing traffic to resume, with further improvement work underway.
Along the Trishuli-Betrawati road section, mud has been cleared from 8 kilometers of the 10-kilometer affected stretch. Work is continuing on the remaining 2 kilometers.
The government has also invited emergency tenders to carry out work on an additional 35 kilometers of damaged road.
Work has already started to install Bailey bridges at three locations affected by the floods.
At Tadi in Devighat, foundation construction has begun. The government is attempting to transport the Bailey bridge to Tadi by Friday.
A survey has also been completed at Betrawati, where foundation construction has started for another Bailey bridge.
At Trishuli, the survey for installing a Bailey bridge has been completed. The site is estimated to require a 120-meter Bailey bridge.
The government is seeking additional Bailey bridges from China and the UK to restore road connectivity in areas where permanent bridges were destroyed by the floods.
