Ramechhap. The under-construction road from Seleghat of Ramechhap to Sanghutar, the border of Okhaldhunga, has been in limbo due to the negligence of the contractors.
Locals have demanded the immediate construction of the roadside settlements, agricultural land and the livelihood of the locals. The 52-kilometer-long road from Seleghat of Manthali Municipality-6 in Ramechhap to Sanghutar Bazaar on the banks of Likhu of Okhaldhunga is being constructed with the assistance of Exim Bank of India.
Although the contract for the project was awarded to the Indian construction company, Telecommunications India Limited (TCIL), the company has been carrying out the works through Nepali contractors.
However, the road becomes muddy in the rainy season and dusty in winter as the old structure of the road is demolished and the new construction is left incomplete. Vehicular movement has also been affected due to the piling up of construction materials on the road.
Pushparaj Adhikari, a local of Manthali Municipality-4, said that their real estate is at risk due to the negligence of the contractors.
‘The road has been obstructed by piling construction materials, the contractors are not visible. The water from the roads directly enters our homes and farms. Our lives are at risk,” the official said.
According to the locals, the risk of landslides has increased during the rainy season due to the digging of the road.
Many settlements and agricultural land have been buried by the stones and mud thrown from the road, while the rainwater has been eroding the fields.
Ganga Bahadur Tamang, a driver who regularly drives on the same road, said that the condition of the road has caused problems to both the passengers and drivers.
“I don’t know how long I will have to endure this pain. The condition of the road is deteriorating day by day,” he said.
The project started on November 11, 2020 and was targeted to be completed by May 10, 2023.
Though the contract was signed at a cost of Rs 1.94 billion, the construction of the base of the road is yet to be completed even after more than two years of the expiry of the deadline.
Locals have complained that the construction company has not paid the workers on time.
They allege that the project has been in limbo for long due to lack of workers and negligence on the part of contractors.
Locals have demanded that the concerned body should make the contractors responsible and complete the road construction immediately, saying they have been compelled to face the risk of dust, mud, landslide and accidents for years.
They say that in the name of road expansion, there is no development, but only daily hardships and risks.
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