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The Karnali Highway, constructed under the command of the Nepal Army, has been in operation for 11 years. But all these years, passengers haven’t been able to travel safely on the highway, where hundreds have died in road accidents. The highway, which links Surkhet with Jumla, is so treacherous that it is often dubbed a ‘death-way’. In the past two years, although the frequency of accidents has declined, the suffering of the passengers hasn’t. They have to travel for two days to make a trip that should take no more than eight hours. That the highway is only single lane was already a hassle. What has compounded the problem is the delay in the construction of bridges on it.

The government has invested Rs 150 mil­lion to construct five of these bridges. (Cur­rently, most vehicles plying the highway have to ford treacherous rivers.) Another 18 bridges are being built with a World Bank grant of Rs 600 million, according to the Road Divi­sion Office, Jumla. But construction works are marred by problems.

For instance construction of the bridge over Takulla River has been halted, no one knows exactly why. The Road Division had recom­mended that its constructor, Jagriti Tulchi Durga JV, be blacklisted.

“But the Supreme Court issued an order not to place the company on the blacklist,” rues division head Madhav Prasad Adhikari.

However, construction of another bridge project that had earlier been halted has now resumed. The project had begun seven years ago under an agreement that it would be completed in 15 months. But the bridge remains incomplete after seven years, and the construction resumed only recently after the road division warned the constructor, Yakthumhang Goldengate JV, that it would be blacklisted.

“The company has agreed to bear all the additional cost incurred by the delay and to seek payment only after the construc­tion is complete,” says the Road Division Office, Jumla. This bridge is being built at a spot where vehicles get stuck for weeks when there’s a landslide.

Raj Bahadur Mahat, chairperson of Jumla Civil Society, laments that the government has failed to take action against construction companies that have dragged construction for years. “These companies enjoy political protection, which is why they can get away with abandoning the work. If the state is indeed serious about Karnali’s welfare, upgrading the highway is a must,” says Mahat.

The road division claims that building the bridges and widening the highway is a top pri­ority, and that construction has picked up pace after it took charge of the work in February. Earlier the Nepal Army was in charge.

The road division office claims that is doesn’t have the necessary budget for highway expan­sion and upgrade. It also argues that construc­tion work has suffered due to the region’s remoteness and the 2015-16 blockade.

By Govinda Devkota | Nepalgunj

The much-awaited Melamchi Water Supply Project is finally near completion. A ‘breakthrough’ on April 10 in the 7.5-km Sindhu-Gyalthum section of the 26-km tunnel has raised the odds that Melamchi River’s water will reach the Kathmandu Valley before the Dashain festival in October.

Minister for Water Supply and Sanitation Bina Magar said that with the latest breakthrough, the tunnel-digging work of the project has been completed. “We intend to finish the remaining tasks in the next four months, so valley residents will get to consume the water from Melamchi latest by Dashain,” said Magar. After taking over the ministry on Feb­ruary 18, Magar had observed the project site and instructed the project chief to carry out the breakthrough in 25 days. It was completed four days before the deadline.

Of the total project cost of Rs 76.7 billion, Rs 24.2 billion has already been spent, with 80 percent being borne by the Asian Development Bank and the remaining by the Nepal government.

The main objectives of the project, according to the ADB, are to alleviate the chronic water shortage in Kathmandu Valley on a sustainable, long-term basis, and to improve the health and well-being of its inhabitants. It is expected to bring 170 million liters of water to the capital every day. The much-delayed proj­ect also seeks to develop a comprehensive institutional framework for urban water management in the valley.

Earlier breakthroughs in the tunnel work included the 9.4-km Sundarijal-Sindhu sec­tion in 2016 and the 8.2-km Gyalthum-Ambathan section in late 2017.

“Melamchi’s water will be supplied to Kathmandu’s households in September if things go smoothly. But even if there are technical difficulties, that will happen by October,” says Ramchandra Devkota, executive director of the Melam­chi Water Supply Board.

“We are working on a Detailed Project Report to bring an additional 170 million liters of water each from Yangri and Larke rivers. Both will require 11-km long tunnels,” said Devkota. Tiresh Prasad Khatri, director of the Project Imple­mentation Directorate, KUKL, informed that the state water utility will need 15 days to supply water to households after it reaches Sundarijal.

By YUVARAJ PURI | SINDHUPALCHOK

With inputs from Gopikrishna Dhungana in Kathmandu

Kathmandu: The Pashupati Area Development Trust has announced the Pashupati area would be free of beggars. Speak­ing at a program on April 3, Min­ister for Culture and Tourism and Chair of the PADT Govern­ing Council Rabindra Adhikari suggested the PADT should help rehabilitate those for whom beg­ging is a profession and instead teach them livelihood skills.

According to a study, there are 182 beggars inside the Pashupati main temple premises. In col­laboration with the Manav Sewa Ashram 80 beggars have already been rehabilitated in Gongobu and Budhanilakantha Ashram, according to the PADT. RSS

Kathmandu: Construction of Kathmandu View Tower at the Old Bus Park in Kathmandu is moving ahead at a snail’s pace, according to the Kathmandu Metropolitan City. Work on building the foundation, in what is the first phase, is still going on, said KMC’s Public-Private Partnership Unit Chief Mahesh Kafle. The initial plan was to build a 29-storey building, but the project was reduced to 12 floors following the April 2015 earthquake. RSS