Govt unlikely to meet targets for road, bridge construction

Kathmandu, September 10

The government is less likely to meet the targets set for road and bridge construction in the ongoing 13th periodic plan, which is ending in the current fiscal year. Poor progress, mainly in taking road link to Dolpa and Humla, bridge works and road maintenance, will likely make it difficult to meet the goals.

In the three-year periodic plan (2013-14 to 2015-16), the government has aimed to open 3,000 km new roads, upgrade, reconstruct and rehabilitate 1,831 km roads, conduct periodic maintenance of 2,167 km roads, construct 355 bridges and take road link to district headquarters of Dolpa and Humla.

As of last fiscal year 2014-15, there was progress of 60.93 per cent in new road construction, according to the Department of Roads (DoR). This means a total of 1,828 km new roads had been constructed in different parts of the country. The progress is comparatively better in upgrading and reconstruction of the roads. DoR said that a total of 1,285 km roads have been upgraded and reconstructed in the last two fiscal years.

However, the progress has been poor in terms of road connection to Humla and Dolpa, bridge construction and road maintenance.

“Even as we will do out very best to achieve the set goals, it seems tough to achieve the targets for bridge works and road maintenance,” said Madhav Karki, director general of the DoR.

As of last fiscal, construction of 145 bridges had been completed, a progress of 40.85 per cent, and progress of periodic maintenance of roads stood at 35.95 per cent (779 km) against the target of over 2,100 km.

As per the annual progress report of DoR, less number of new roads were opened in last fiscal year compared to the previous year and same was the case with upgrading, reconstruction works and road maintenance. DoR officials said that all the development works were badly affected in the last quarter of the last fiscal year due to the April and May earthquakes.

A total of 73 bridges were completed in the last fiscal year, compared to 72 units in fiscal year 2013-14. To meet the target set in the 13th periodic plan, the government needs to complete works on 210 units of bridges in the current fiscal year, which is not possible. Another major target of connecting district headquarters of Dolpa and Humla is also not feasible.

Karki said that it will take two more years to take road connection to Dolpa and Humla and Nepal Army is being involved to work on the project. Dolpa and Humla are the only two districts that lack road access to its headquarters and are yet to be connected with national road network. Of the total target of constructing 28 km road to Humla in the last fiscal year, only six km was completed.