,Okhaldhunga, Dec. 8: Phikkal Rural Municipality in Sindhuli district has arranged rafting boats for the students of Okhaldhunga studying in schools of Phikkal to cross the Sunkoshi River.

Students of different settlements of Sunkoshi Rural Municipality of Okhaldhuga, who go to schools in the Phikkal Rural Municipality crossing the Sunkoshi River, have bee provided rafting boats to cross the river.

Chairperson of Phikkal Rural Municipality, Parbati Sunuwar, said that rafting boats have been arranged for the students of Jerongghat in Ward. 4 and Dhebua Majhigaun in Ward No. 1 of Sunkoshi Rural Municipality in Okhaldunga, who are studying at Ratnaganga Secondary School Gerundanda and Teen Khande Rai Village Basic School of Phikkal – 6. At the initiative of the Rural Municipality, three rafting boats and life jackets have been provided by the National Disaster Authority, Kathmandu, Said Sunwar.

The Disaster Search and Rescue Base Camp Khurkot of the Armed Police Force (APF) has provided training to two local youths to row the boats.

Phikkal Rural Municipality has also managed a boat driver, said Sunuwar. Earlier, 26 students from Dhebusa Majhigaun and Jerongghat of Ward No. 1 of Okhaldhunga of Sunkoshi Rural Municipality used to go to school using old tubes of motors to cross the mighty Sunkoshi.

Locals and students were forced to cross the river by using the tubes after a suspension bridge of Dhebua Ghat was washed away by a flood in the Sunkoshi River on September 28 this year.

The Chairperson of Phikkal Rural Municipality, Sunuwar, said that although rafting boats were arranged only for the students, they had a plan to provide free facilities to the locals as well.

With the availability of rafting boats to cross the Sunkoshi, locals of Dhebuaghat, Jerongghat, Sandi, Gairijerong, Chiuribot and Dandajerong have found it easy to go to Ghurmi of Udaypur as well as Kathmandu. They were facing difficulties in commuting after the flood swept away the suspension bridge.