The perilous cable crossings in Nepal

Schoolgirls cross Trishuli River via a rope-bridge (C)Manish Duwadi/Barcroft India

Nepal has announced plans to replace perilous cable crossings with suspension bridges following tragedy. Nepal is an adventure holiday destination for many tourists. But for locals in remote areas, hauling themselves across fast-flowing rivers by cable rope-ways and wire bridges is a daily fact of life. For children, it has been called the world’s most dangerous school run. People use the cables to haul themselves over the churning waters to reach work, go shopping and meet relatives. In the Benighat district of central Nepal, there are many such cables strung across the Trishuli river. The cables are lifelines for villagers but concern has also mounted about their dangers after a 2010 tragedy in which five fell to their deaths. K P Oli, the prime minister, recently announced a two-year plan to replace these perilous cable crossings with 366 suspension bridges in the surrounding area.

Residents use a wooden trolley to  cross Trishuli River  (C)Manish Duwadi/Barcroft India

In Dhaing village, some children use just a loop of cable to slide across the river to reach their school on the other bank. Other “commuters” use flimsy wooden crates and baskets to propel themselves or their possessions across the river by a pulley system. Versions of the cable crossings, known locally as tuin, have used by Nepalese to cross rivers for several generations. But pressure for footbridges to be erected has been grown since a 2010 tragedy when five people died when the basket carrying them plunged into the Trishuli. Several others have suffered injuries, including lost fingers, as they have operated the cables.

Schoolgirls cross Trishuli River via a rope-bridge (C)Manish Duwadi/Barcroft India

A government investigation committee has outlined the dangers of cable crossings for children and identified locations for suspension footbridges. But only one has been built so far and many villagers still opt for the shorter rope bridge routes. The first of these opened in January 2016, connecting the nearby villages of Manthali and Gimdi.

Source: The Telegraph