Eight months after the completion, a suspension bridge over Mahakali river connecting Lali of Darchula and Uttarakhand state of India opened for public.

A footbridge over the Kali river connecting India and Nepal was inaugurated on Friday at the border village of Daura in Pithoragarh district as a goodwill gesture between the two countries.

The 200-metre suspension bridge was inaugurated jointly by BJP MLA from Didihat constituency Bishan Singh Chufal and officials from Nepal in the presence of a large number of people from both countries, Pithoragarh District Magistrate V K Jogdande said.

The bridge was constructed by the Nepal government at a cost of Rs 2.25 crore in Nepalese currency, Chief District Officer of Darchula (on the Nepalese side) Shankar Singh Bisht said. The bridge will benefit residents of over 50 villages on both sides of the border.

It is the fifth bridge between India and Nepal over the Kali river, the Pithoragarh DM said. The four other bridges are at Dharchula, Baluakot, Jauljibi and Jhoolaghat villages on the Indo-Nepal border, he said. "The new bridge will save locals from traversing a long distance of 22 km to reach the nearest bridge at Jauljibi or Jhoolaghat to cross over," the DM said. CORR ALM SMN SMN

The bridge was jointly inaugurated by the officials and elected representatives from both the countries. Assembly member of Uttarakhand Bishan Singh Chufal and senior government officials and senior security officers from India and Head of District Coordination Committee Darchula Kabir Bahadur Karki, CDO Shanker Bahadur Bishta and chairman of Lekam Rural Municipality Pramananda Joshi were present at the inaugural site.