Kathmandu, April 18

After the government directed the Department of Roads (DoR) to go ahead with constructing and maintaining various road networks across the country, the department has started blacktopping various sections of roads and also resumed maintenance works.

In line with the government’s direction, the DoR informed that the maintenance works along the Gaushala-Chabahil- Chuchepati road will soon proceed after the Kathmandu District Administration issued a notice to that effect.

Keshab Kumar Sharma, director general of DoR, said they will start the repair and blacktopping work along Gaushala-Chabahil- Chuchepati road section from Sunday. “We plan to complete the work along this section of the road within 15 days and we will mobilise all available resources with the contractor,” he stated.

Earlier, Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Basanta Kumar Nembang had submitted a proposal to repair the Gaushala-Chabahil-Chuchepati road section at a meeting of the high-level committee for prevention and control of coronavirus.

The high-level committee is headed by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Ishwar Pokhrel.

The high-level committee has issued a circular to concerned ministries to take the approval from the concerned district administration offices to run different projects. It also decided that work on various infrastructure projects could be carried out by following the necessary precautionary measures, such as maintaining social distance among workers.

The committee also stated that if any company or institution wants to run their infrastructure project they can do so and if they face obstacles in the process then the government will facilitate them.

“In the first phase, we will start work on the Gaushala-Chabahil road section provided there is no hurdle in bringing the construction materials,” said Sharma.

He added that more works will be started within a few days as the department right now is coordinating and cross-checking with various stakeholders regarding drinking water pipeline, electricity poles, sewerage system and telecommunication lines.

The biggest problem on the Gaushala-Chabahil road section is the water supply pipes. The pipes are laid underground in the middle of the road and are so old that there is leakage in various places. That’s why even after blacktopping the section so many times it does not last.

According to the project, the stretch from Gaushala to Chuchepati will be completely repaired and blacktopped while the section from Chabahil to Gopi Krishna junction will only be blacktopped.

According to Sharma, the DoR has marked traffic lines along more than 10,000 kilometres of roads across the country, including Kathmandu valley, since the government imposed the nationwide lockdown. “We have mobilised the concerned parties to transform the roads as per the specifications suggested by the government.”

A version of this article appears in e-paper on April 19, 2020 of The Himalayan Times.