Far West highways in dire need of repairs
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DOTI, DEC 20 - Rain ravaged motorways linking the Tarai with hill districts in the Far West are in dire need of repair. However, there has been no initiative to restore the dilapidated highways due to budget crunch.
Unexpected and long-drawn rainfall in October had left sections of Bhimdutta Highway, Dr. K. I. Singh Highway, Pahalmansingh Swar Highway and Dadeldhura-Bhajang Highway in bad shape. Piles of landslide rubble, eroded road surface and innumerable potholes are common sight on these routes. Worse, the delay in repair work has further deteriorated these already damaged roads.
The Road Division Office has warned that access to the Far West hill districts could be cut off if the government does not release the budget immediately.
"Repairs must be completed before the onset of monsoon, or else the highways will be rendered impassable," says Man Singh Dhami, engineer at Road Division Office, Kulpate, in Doti district.
The cost of repair works has been estimated at Rs.110 million.
Transport entrepreneurs are furious as the government has not released the budget required to restore the roads. They say the condition of the highways entail great risk of accident, and it's getting worse by the day.
"There are potholes everywhere. In some places, landslips have eroded large chunks of roads. It is very risky to drive in this condition and time consuming as well," says Saroj Dhakal, a transport entrepreneur.
According to Dhami, the more the government delays release of the budget, the more damage the highways will suffer and the greater will be the risk of accidents.
If repair works do not begin by the middle of the current Nepali calendar month, he says "it will become harder for the Road Division Office to repair the highways before the next monsoon."
Posted on: 2009-12-20 08:36
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