SIRAHA — Residents of Siraha and Dhanusha have launched a public fundraising campaign to complete the long-delayed Kamala Bridge, which has remained unfinished for 14 years under the Hulaki (Postal) Highway project.
The campaign was formally inaugurated on-site at the Kamala Bridge on Thursday, according to social activist and journalist Ramrijhan Yadav. He said that despite construction beginning more than a decade ago, the project has faced repeated deadline extensions.
“In the past 14 years, the project has been extended several times. The situation worsened after two pillars of the bridge collapsed during the floods of Asar 17, 2078 BS. The absence of the bridge has severely impacted travel, health services, education, and economic activities for hundreds of thousands of people across Madhesh,” Yadav said.
He added that after the government repeatedly failed to complete the project, locals felt compelled to initiate a symbolic movement to build the bridge themselves. Yadav noted that the campaign was launched days after informing Physical Infrastructure Minister Kulman Ghising, who had recently visited the site for inspection.
Although Minister Ghising assured locals that completing the bridge is among the government’s top priorities, activists say they remain uncertain due to the project’s long history of delays.
The estimated cost to complete the Kamala Bridge is around Rs 2 billion. To support the effort, residents of Dhanusha, Siraha, and Saptari plan to collect contributions from households, with each family asked to donate Rs 10,000. Organizers also plan to raise funds through a Vishnu Mahayagya and register the campaign formally, ensuring that all collected donations are deposited into the government’s fund for the bridge construction.
