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Construction on the western section of the Madan Bhandari Highway in Surkhet has been stalled due to recurring disputes, even as work progresses steadily on the eastern stretch. The highway, a national pride project aimed at connecting eastern and western Nepal, has seen several setbacks in Surkhet’s western region, particularly in the Gutu-Balde section.

Most recently, local obstruction has halted work in Bijaura. According to the Madan Bhandari Highway Project Office, Surkhet, the project has been unable to move forward in the area due to disputes from locals regarding the road alignment. The conflict covers a 1,500-meter stretch from Hospital Chowk in Bijaura to Dungkhola via Bijaura Bazaar.

The Detailed Project Report (DPR) outlines the alignment passing through Bijaura Bazaar to connect Hospital Chowk with Dungkhola. While no objections were raised during the DPR preparation, locals have since blocked construction, claiming that the road would cut through private land and disrupt the local market area.

One of the objectors is Top Bahadur BC, Ward Chairperson of Chaukune Rural Municipality-4, who says, “If the road follows the DPR alignment, I too will be displaced. My land—around eight ropanis—will be affected. Instead of displacing people, the highway should be rerouted.”

Despite local concerns, the Highway Project Office insists that the road must follow the shortest route as per the original DPR. Locals claim that around two dozen homes would be affected if the road is built along the planned alignment. They demand that the highway be diverted by an additional two kilometers to avoid displacing residents.

Although all-party discussions have been held to resolve the issue, no consensus has been reached. Engineer Resham Wali from the project office said, “We cannot deviate from the DPR alignment. Due to local obstruction, we’ve set aside the Bijaura stretch and are focusing on blacktopping the remaining sections.”

According to Wali, out of the 22-kilometer stretch between Dungkhola and Balde, including Bijaura Danda to Bidyapur Danda, 17 kilometers are currently being blacktopped and are expected to be completed by July.

The Madan Bhandari Highway spans 85 kilometers in the Surkhet section, linking Baddichaur in the west to Lagam. The western section has faced delays since its inception due to multiple disputes.

Earlier, during the DPR phase, locals in Barahatal and Panchpuri obstructed survey work. In areas such as Baddichaur (Barahatal) and Baraiche and Dulalthai (Panchpuri), residents opposed the alignment, citing concerns about which sides of the highway would receive development benefits. Although this issue was eventually resolved, another dispute emerged over tree removal between Baddichaur and Khambagade. Work in this area was stalled for a long time due to a lack of permission to cut trees. The provincial government has now taken over upgrading work in that section.

Eastern section nears completion

Meanwhile, the eastern section of the highway in Surkhet is nearing completion. Of the 35-kilometer stretch from Bhedabari to Dhuliyabit, 29 kilometers have already been blacktopped. Work is ongoing on the remaining six kilometers, and the Highway Project Office reports that 90 percent of the work is complete. “Only six kilometers are left to be blacktopped, and that too will be completed soon,” said engineer Wali. “Most of the bridges in this section have also been completed, with only one left to be sloped.”

Nepal has released its first-ever national estimate of the snow leopard population, placing the figure at 397 individuals with a mean density of 1.56 leopards per 100 square kilometers. The comprehensive assessment was led by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) and the Department of Forests and Soil Conservation (DoFSC), with collaboration from conservation institutions and researchers, including WWF Nepal.

“This national estimate is a historic step in Nepal’s conservation journey,” said Ram Chandra Kandel, director-general of DNPWC. “It not only provides a clearer picture of the snow leopard population but also strengthens our strategy for long-term conservation.”

The data, gathered between 2015 and 2024, utilized advanced techniques such as camera trapping and genetic analysis of scat samples. The assessment followed the PAWS (Population Assessment of the World’s Snow Leopards) methodology developed under the Global Snow Leopard & Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP).

Badri Raj Dhungana, director-general of DoFSC, emphasized that a significant portion of snow leopard habitat lies outside protected areas. “This highlights the need for stronger community-based conservation, improved habitat connectivity and mitigation of human-wildlife conflict,” he said.

Ghana Shyam Gurung, country representative of WWF Nepal, hailed the estimate as a critical milestone. “This baseline will guide future interventions and ensure resources are directed where they’re most needed,” he said, underlining the importance of local partnerships in the face of climate change and infrastructure expansion.

The study compiled data from seven key snow leopard regions, reflecting Nepal’s leadership in high-altitude biodiversity conservation. It also places the country alongside Mongolia, Bhutan and India, which have completed similar assessments in recent years. Despite being found across 12 countries in Asia, snow leopards remain one of the least-studied big cats. A 2021 WWF report found that only 23 percent of their global range has been systematically studied, with less than three percent yielding data on population abundance.

A few days ago, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) had announced plans to breach the restricted zone near the federal parliament, calling for a protest on Sunday to demand the reinstatement of the monarchy and the release of its detained leaders.

However, the protest failed to gather significant mass support. While the turnout on the streets was minimal, RPP lawmakers managed to stage a symbolic protest inside Singhadurbar, the federal government’s administrative complex. After a meeting at the party’s Parliamentary Party Office, they displayed handwritten pamphlets bearing various slogans.

Police detained RPP Chairperson Rajendra Lingden, Vice-chairperson Buddhiman Tamang, and Chief Whip Gyanendra Shahi from inside Singhadurbar. All three were released later in the evening.

Anticipating unrest following the party’s announcement to enter restricted areas, authorities had tightened security in Kathmandu. A large number of security personnel were deployed around designated restricted zones, including the area surrounding New Baneshwar.

Traffic in Kathmandu was severely disrupted after police barred vehicle movement in and around New Baneshwar. However, once the protest failed to gain traction, normal traffic resumed. The ongoing teachers’ protest, now in its second week, further exacerbated the traffic chaos.

Last week, during an executive committee meeting, Party Chair Lingden accused the government of curbing citizens’ fundamental rights by arbitrarily declaring areas as off-limits. “We are being pushed into a corner. That’s why we’ve decided to protest in restricted zones,” he said.

The RPP has also vowed to launch both legal and political campaigns demanding the unconditional release of party leaders Rabindra Mishra and Dhawal Shumsher Rana, who were arrested for allegedly inciting deadly violence on March 28. That incident claimed two lives and left over 100 injured, as arson and vandalism broke out in different parts of the capital.

In response to RPP’s threat to breach restricted areas, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a stern warning on Saturday night. “Legal action will be taken against anyone violating the law or inciting public disorder,” the ministry stated, adding that any activity promoting anarchy or undermining the constitution would not be tolerated. The ministry also urged the public to refrain from any “anarchic, provocative or illegal acts” that could lead to violence.

The government has declared the area surrounding the federal parliament in New Baneshwar—and several other locations across Kathmandu—as restricted zones.

Earlier, on April 8, RPP staged a protest assembly in Balkhu, a site designated by the government, reiterating its demand for a constitutional monarchy and the declaration of Nepal as a Hindu state.

Sukaram Tamang, a resident of Dhapakhel in Lalitpur originally from Panauti, Kavre, was severely injured when a tipper truck collided with his motorcycle at around 4 am on March 15. He succumbed to his injuries a few days later while undergoing treatment at the National Trauma Center. The pillion rider, Ramesh Tamang, sustained serious injuries.

In a separate incident on March 23, Sabina Gurung (25) died after a microbus traveling from Chitwan to Kathmandu crashed near Nagdhunga. Nine others were injured in the accident. The condition of three of them was said to be serious.

Similarly, on March 15, 18-year-old Riwaz Acharya was killed in a collision between two speeding motorcycles near Fulbari Gate in Tokha-1, Kathmandu. Road accidents have surged in Kathmandu, the capital city, in recent years. Traffic police data reveals that two to three people die daily in such incidents. Data shows the involvement of two-wheelers in road accidents is much higher compared to four-wheelers.

According to Binod Ghimire, chief of the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Office, nighttime accidents result in higher casualties than daytime crashes. Between mid-July last year and March-end this year, the valley recorded 4,267 accidents which claimed 135 lives. Of these deaths, 95 involved motorcycles or scooters, while 41 were linked to four-wheelers. Additionally, 167 people suffered serious injuries, and 4,903 sustained minor ones. During this period, 4,352 two-wheelers and 3,344 four-wheelers were involved in accidents.

Between mid-February to mid-March alone, 793 accidents were recorded in the valley. Seventeen people died in these accidents, while 19 were seriously injured and 719 sustained minor injuries. In the latter half of March, 10 fatalities were reported, along with seven serious injuries and 237 minor injuries.

Traffic police data shows 26 to 30 accidents occur daily in Kathmandu Valley on average. Over the past three years, the valley has witnessed 23,823 road accidents, resulting in 490 deaths and 718 serious injuries. Traffic police estimate that 30 percent of those critically injured may later die from their wounds.

Likewise, Nepal Police data shows 25,640 accidents were recorded across the country between mid-July last year and mid-February. A total of 1,633 people died in these accidents, while 4,451 were seriously injured. On average, 63 accidents are reported across the country every day, resulting in 7-10 fatalities and 80-90 injuries. Approximately 225 people die in road crashes across the country each month.

Ghimire attributes most accidents to driver negligence, particularly speeding and overconfidence. Common causes for two-wheeler crashes include reckless overtaking, unsecured helmets, drunk driving, mobile phone use, and traffic rule violations. Pillion riders without helmets face severe injury risks even in minor collisions, he added. “Fatalities are less likely at lower speeds. Many drivers are skilled but ignore rules; some treat roads like racetracks,” he added.

According to traffic police officials, it is difficult to provide treatment to victims, especially in cases involving uninsured vehicles. “Many motorcycles lack valid registration or insurance which delays medical care for victims,” Ghimire added. Deepak Giri, spokesperson for the Nepal Police Traffic Division, said that 70 percent of accidents involve two-wheelers, followed by jeeps, cars, vans, buses, and microbuses.

To curb accidents, the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Office recently launched the “Two Minutes with Two-Wheelers” campaign, engaging reckless drivers to educate them on traffic rules. Giri told ApEx that they have received positive feedback from the campaign. “Overconfidence among drivers still remains a significant issue,” he said, adding that 200–300 individuals are penalized for speeding or drunk driving every day.

Police say speeding, intoxication, vehicle defects improper overtaking and pedestrian negligence as leading causes. “Urban congestion, poor roads and mechanical failures are some of the causes of road accidents,” Dinesh Acharya, central spokesperson for Nepal Police, said. “Even educated people are flouting traffic rules. Responsible driving is key to reducing accidents.” Data shows more than 50 percent of road accidents involve drivers in the 26-40 age group.