The
topography of Nepal
is very harsh and diverse. Up to 80% of land includes hills and mountains and
countless streams and rivers flowing through such landscape make great
obstacles to smooth and proper movement of the people. Waiting at the riverbank
for the river to subside or traversing arduous uphill and downhill detours
cause much waste of time and energy. Harsh terrain of the hilly areas is one of
the major constraints in the delivery of basic services, market, education,
health, employment, etc. and in all aspects of developmental work in the
country.
Nepal
is one of the poorest countries in the world. One of the major causes of
poverty is lack of access to the basic services. Improving access and mobility
of the isolated poor people to markets, services and opportunities is one of
the major challenges of Nepal
because of the difficult topography where most of the access related projects
and programmes are concentrated and directed towards expensive physical
infrastructure such as building roads, bridges. Ropeway technology has been in
use in Nepal
for quite a long time, but no significant development in its modification and
application has been observed so far. Over the past years technological
improvements in these kinds of systems worldwide has resulted in the more
advancements in uphill and downhill detours and river crossings. Unfortunately,
Nepal
has not benefited from these technological improvements until now. So, by
applying those technologies in our national context, Mechanized Bridge
targets Nepalese technicians and skilled manpower with their expertise to
develop a local technology using excess day time electricity for its operation.
It connects local people living in a remote village to traders on the other
side where there is road access, education, health and employment. GREAT Nepal
realized that investment in appropriate transport interventions can make a real
impact on lives and livelihoods of poor people by improving the access to
markets and other basic services thereby reducing drudgery, time and cost spent
by men, women and children on transportation.
