Dhading local govts join hands to install temporary pontoon bridge at Furke Khola

Kathmandu, November 8 A pontoon bridge, a floating structure designed to carry vehicles across water, is being installed at Furke Khola through a joint initiative of all local governments in Dhading to reconnect the district headquarters with the Prithvi Highway. According to Bhim Prasad Dhungana, mayor of Nilkantha Municipality, the bridge is being installed as a temporary measure to resume transport services, with all 13 local governments sharing the cost. The pontoon bridge is a temporary arrangement that can operate only during the winter when water levels and river flow are low.

The drums and structural components required for the installation have been transported to Dhading from Rajapur in Bardiya. Of the 33 drums in Rajapur’s pontoon bridge, three had reportedly been swept away by floods earlier. A total of 24 drums have been brought to Dhading.

Mayor Dhungana said the technical inspection found that the bridge could span the river using that number of drums, so the components were transported accordingly. He said each container could carry only two bridge components.