Some 22 million people scattered in about 102,370 settlements in rural settings live in families averaging 5.5 to a household. On an average, a settlement comprises of about 40 households in Nepal and 25 in Bhutan.
Settlements may range from a cluster of fewer than five households to over 300 households. Topographically, some 14 million people of the two countries scattered in about 64,740 settlements live in the hills and mountains.
A cantilever bridge has been constructed at Yarubagar, which connects seven northern villages of Gorkha district.
The bridge is built across the Budhigandaki river to connect Sirdibash and Kerauja VDCs. According to the District Development Committee, the bridge is the first of its kind in Nepal.
The bridge at the Manaslu foot trail is the only pathway connecting the VDCs with the district headquarters. Chief Engineer Sahadev Bahadur Bhandari of the District Technical Office said the bridge was constructed by engineers and workers from Switzerland.
The structure was constructed by drilling the rocky cliff of Yarubagar. The UK Department for International Development built the bridge after its successful experiment at Godavari in Kathmandu. One of the representatives of the DFID said the construction had taken them three months. Rs30 million was spent on it, he said.
Construction materials were delivered by helicopter to the site due to the difficult geography. The geography of the Himalayas dictates 80% of its predominantly agrarian population to live in small scattered settlements – the terrain and the soil can sustain only so much.
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