India and Nepal are all set to begin the construction of a new motorable bridge over the Mahakali River in an attempt to increase trade and connectivity between the two neighbouring countries. This is in line with the commitment of both governments to strengthen cross-border connectivity for encouraging commercial, cultural, and people-to-people exchanges.

On September 20, a ceremony for the construction of the motorable bridge was jointly held by both countries. In Nepal, Commerce Minister Dilendra Prasad Badu laid the foundation stone for the project while Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami did the same in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand.

The Nepali minister thanked the Government of India for extending grant assistance to build the cross-border bridge. He believed the bridge construction will help bring prosperity to remote areas in Nepal’s Sudurpaschim Province which shares a border with India.

Once completed, the cross-border bridge will help in better connectivity from Nepal’s Darchula district to Dharchula town in Uttarakhand.

The project will be built under the Government of India’s grant assistance as per the agreement signed between the two governments in February 2022.

This project is being executed by the Uttarakhand Public Works Department at an estimated cost of Rs. 33 crores, according to the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu.

The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu stated that the project will boost cross-border connectivity between the Sudurpaschim province of Nepal and the Uttarakhand state of India, as people-to-people links already exist between the communities on both sides of the border across the Mahakali River.

The expected time of completion of the bridge is one year.

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