The troubled tale of Jabdighat bridge

A bridge project in Bardiya district that began with much fanfare and lofty ambitions has devolved into a protracted tale of unrealized promises, tales of corruption and legal entanglements. The construction of Jabdighat bridge spanning the Babai river was initiated in 2011 to forge a vital link between Bardiya’s northern realms, including the town of Barbardiya, and the district headquarters, Gualriya. The 400-meter structure was slated for completion within three years. However, bureaucratic roadblocks and logistical hitches elongated the timeline by an additional two years, foreshadowing the tumultuous path that lay ahead.

Dismay turned into despair when, shortly before its anticipated inauguration, the Rs 190m bridge buckled and crumbled. Local residents, whose hopes had been kindled by the promise of enhanced connectivity with the bridge completion, were devastated. 

Fingers were pointed squarely at the contractor, design consultant, and the Road Division Office, all implicated in what can only be described as a fiasco of monumental proportions.

Leapfrogging through 12 years, the denizens of Barbardiya and its vicinity continue to traverse the Babai’s waters through boats and ephemeral wooden crossings. Their dream of cruising to Gulariya in vehicular comfort remains suspended, forever unmaterialized. The forsaken edifice of the Jabdighat bridge, a stark monument to both graft and ineptitude, underscores the blight infesting Nepal’s construction sector.
Nearly seven years following the bridge’s collapse, a glimmer of accountability emerged. On May 8, 2022, the Special Court issued a verdict ordering the contractor, Pappu Construction Pvt Ltd, to pay a fine of Rs 37.2m. Simultaneously, Bhanu Joshi, Manoj Shrestha, Rajesh Kumar Yadav, Navaraj KC, Hari Bahadur Khadka, and Karma Tenzin Tamang from the Nepalgunj-based Road Division Office were found culpable for diverging from approved plans, designs, and specifications. Their sentences ranged from six to eight months, accompanied by fines ranging from Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000.

Yet, justice’s path remains labyrinthine. The defendants contested the Special Court’s ruling at the Supreme Court. The verdict remains a distant horizon.

The saga took an interesting turn when Sanjay Gautam, federal parliament member from Bardiya, embarked on a hunger strike beneath the remains of the Jabdighat bridge on May 13 of this year. His demand: the immediate resurrection of the collapsed structure. Succumbing to public pressure, Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Prakash Jwala visited Gautam and pledged in writing to initiate a tender process for the bridge reconstruction within a week.  
However, even this pledge struggled to evade bureaucratic entanglements, resulting in further stasis. As three months have quietly slipped by, Minister Jwala’s promise has languished unfulfilled. “Even the solemn commitment of a government minister is not implemented,” bemoans Gautam, who now plans to take up the matter directly to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal.  
Janak Dhami, the information officer at the Road Division Office, Nepalgunj, underscores the delays that have plagued the bridge’s resurrection. The crux of the issue: the Ministry of Finance’s failure to greenlight the necessary budgetary allocations.

The tale of the Jabdighat bridge underscores not only the intricacies of infrastructure development but also the necessity for effective governance, unswerving execution, and vigilant oversight. 

Niraj Shakya, chief of the Road Division Office, Nepalgunj, confesses that until the court proceedings conclude, the bridge’s repair remains a distant prospect. 

“We are now planning to initiate a new bridge project at Jabdighat itself. The project is estimated to cost around Rs 950m.”  

The lesson here is unambiguous: the Jabdighat Bridge shows the broader interplay between aspiration and reality in infrastructure. It demands a fusion of dedication, sagacity and watchfulness to bridge the gap between intent and achievement.