Dhankuta — The Arun III Hydropower Project, currently under construction in Sankhuwasabha, is building an “underpass” on the Tamor River at Moolghat in Dhankuta. As transporting heavy construction materials across the bridge is risky, a 60-meter-long underpass is being constructed.
At Moolghat, under the Dharan–Dhankuta section of the Koshi Highway, there is a 200-meter-long concrete bridge over the Tamor River that was built in 1984 B.S. The bridge’s maximum load-bearing capacity is only 70 tons. However, according to the project’s Deputy General Manager, Pankaj Anand, the total weight of trucks carrying heavy equipment such as transformers and turbines can reach up to 140 tons.
According to him, approval has been obtained from the Department of Roads to construct the underpass on the Tamor River. “We started building the underpass after receiving permission from the Government of Nepal,” he said. He explained that since transporting trucks loaded with overweight materials across the bridge could damage it, construction of the underpass was initiated. He also said that all heavy materials would be transported before the water level in the Tamor River rises.
Rajendra Prasad Sah, Chief of the Road Division Office, Dhankuta, informed that the maximum load-bearing capacity of the Dharan–Dhankuta road is only about 40 tons. According to him, freight vehicles carrying loads exceeding 40 tons are not permitted to operate on the Dharan–Dhankuta section of the Koshi Highway.
Although an underpass has been constructed to prevent possible damage to the bridge while transporting the project’s heavy construction materials, locals complain that the road’s load-bearing capacity has been overlooked. However, Deputy General Manager Pankaj Anand claimed that the Government of Nepal has granted approval to use the highway for transporting materials for the project’s construction.
When questioned about the project transporting loads heavier than the load-bearing capacity of the Dharan–Dhankuta road, the Chief District Officers of Dhankuta and Sankhuwasabha indicated that there may have been an agreement at the departmental level on this matter. Dhankuta Chief District Officer Binod Kumar Khadka said that since it is a project of national pride, facilitation is being carried out “from the top” through such agreements.
Similarly, Sankhuwasabha Chief District Officer Srijana Thapaliya said that she was unaware of the road’s load-bearing capacity. She stated that she had been informed that the Arun III project had obtained permission from the relevant department to transport materials.
Kantipur
