Kathmandu: A groundbreaking ceremony was organized on Monday for the construction of an India-funded motorable bridge over the Mahakali River connecting Darchula (India) with Darchula (Nepal).
Dilendra Prasad Badu, Nepali Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies laid the foundation stone for the project at Darchula alongside Prasanna Shrivastava, Deputy Chief of Mission from India, who was present on the occasion. The ceremony was held jointly by India and Nepal. The project will augment cross-border connectivity between the Sudurpaschim province of Nepal and the Uttarakhand state of India where close people-to-people links exist between communities on both sides of the border across the Mahakali river.
“This is in line with the commitment of both the governments to strengthen cross-border connectivity for encouraging commercial, cultural and people-to-people exchanges,” an official from the Indian Embassy stated.
Meanwhile, Indian Embassy in Nepal welcomed the groundbreaking of the project. According to the embassy, the bridge connects and symbolizes India’s commitment to boosting physical connectivity between two countries for mutual benefit.
“Embassy of India, Kathmandu, welcomes ground breaking of India funded new motorable bridge in Darchula. The bridge connecting & symbolizes India’s commitment to boost physical connectivity between two countries for mutual benefit,” India in Nepal tweeted.
India and Nepal in February signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the construction of a motorable Bridge over the Mahakali River connecting Dharchula (India) with Darchula (Nepal), under Indian grant assistance.
The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu had said in a press release that the MoU was signed by Ambassador of India, Vinay Mohan Kwatra and Secretary, Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Government of Nepal, Rabindra Nath Shrestha, in presence of Minister of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Government of Nepal, Renu Kumari Yadav.