Janaboli
Humla : Again a JCB has started helping the vehicles cross the Pilu River in Budhinanda Municipality of Bajura district along the Karnali Corridor.
The locals of Budhinanda and transport operators commuting along the corridor have been demanding a motorable bridge over the river for the past four years. However, as their pleas have fallen on deaf ears, a JCB is being used to help the vehicles cross the river for years during monsoons.
As the water level of the river has risen because of regular rainfall, the vehicles need the support of a JCB to cross the river and continue their journey.
“It has been a recurrent problem for four years. It is difficult to cross the Pilu River during monsoon as the water level is extremely high. Thanks to the help of the JCB, the vehicles can cross the river somehow,” said Tilak Shahi, a truck driver from Ward No. 3 of Tanjakot Rural Municipality of Humla district.
Shahi, who often travels along the Karnali Corridor, informed that the vehicles heading towards Bajura and Humla from Nepalgunj and Surkhet and returning to Surkhet suffered a lot in lack of a bridge over the Pilu River.
The heavy vehicles carrying goods to Bajura’s Budhinanda and Himali, Humla’s Tanjakot and Adanchuli and up to Salisalla from Nepalgunj and Surkhet need to cross the river.
Nevertheless, people travelling on jeeps cross the river on foot, exchange the jeep on the other side of the river and continue their travel. Since even heavy vehicles struggle to cross the river, small jeeps have stopped making attempts to cross the river even in the JCB’s support.
During the monsoon last year, a vehicle turned over in the river due to the current of the water.
Meanwhile, transport operators informed that they were bound to pay extra for the help causing an unnecessary economic burden. “Moreover, the vehicle sustains damage in its parts alongside the transported goods get wet while crossing the river,” said Shahi.
