India-Nepal cooperation strengthens with infrastructure aid after Bhotekoshi-Trishuli floods (Image: Google)
Kathmandu: India has stepped up assistance for flood-affected Nepal by supplying components for three Bailey bridges aimed at restoring road connectivity in areas severely impacted by recent floods. The first consignment of materials for a 70-metre Bailey bridge reached Hetauda on Saturday and was handed over to Nepal’s Road Division Office. The bridges will be installed in parts of Nuwakot and Rasuwa, where critical transport links were damaged due to the Bhotekoshi-Trishuli floods.
The move comes as Nepal continues recovery efforts following widespread destruction caused by flash floods.
According to the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, Narayan Singh, First Secretary, Indian Embassy formally handed over the bridge components to Kiran Karki of the Road Division Office in Hetauda. The handover ceremony was attended by officials from the local administration, security agencies and Hetauda Sub-metropolitan City. The bridge materials were transported by trucks and delivered to the Road Division Office premises, with additional consignments expected to arrive soon.
India’s Ambassador to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava said the Bailey bridge would play an important role in reconnecting the Betrawati area, which suffered major damage due to the Bhote Koshi-Trishuli flash floods. Indian officials expressed solidarity with Nepal, saying that the destruction caused by the floods had affected communities and disrupted essential transportation routes. The bridge components will now be transported to Nuwakot for immediate installation.
The floods caused extensive damage to infrastructure in Nepal’s Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts. According to the Road Division Office, around 35 motorable bridges and 17 footbridges were washed away during the disaster, leaving several communities disconnected. To restore transport networks, the Nepal government had requested support from both India and China for Bailey bridge assistance.
The latest assistance highlights the ongoing cooperation between India and Nepal in times of emergency. Bailey bridges are widely used for rapid infrastructure restoration because they can be assembled quickly and deployed in areas where permanent structures have been damaged.
The installation of these bridges is expected to provide relief to residents, improve movement of essential supplies and reconnect flood-affected communities.
