Tatopani accessible only by ropeway as Bhotekoshi River sweeps away bridge

CHAUTARA, SINDHUPALCHOK: Swollen Bhotekoshi River has recently swept away a Bailey bridge at Larcha in Sindhupalchok district, severing road access to the Tatopani point along the Nepal-China border.

The bridge, situated along the Kodari Highway, connected Bhotekoshi Rural Municipality-2 with China. The border village of Liping has also lost direct access to the federal capital.

Currently, Tatopani can only be accessed by a ropeway. According to Kumar Shrestha, Ward Chairperson of Bhotekoshi-2, the local government, with assistance from the Road Division Office, has constructed temporary structures to facilitate the movement of people. This was achieved using two excavators and a tipper from the local government, funded by the Road Division. However, Shrestha noted that the ropeway is neither a durable nor safe means of transport.

Efforts to establish a makeshift bridge for vehicle movement are nearing completion, although the river's flow remains high. It is expected that the work will take over two days to complete.

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