Bhaktapur, January 5

Tourists and locals travelling on the Kamal Binayak- Nagarkot road have been facing a difficult time due to the pathetic condition of  the road for the last nine months.

“The road is one of the busiest roads of the country as thousands of tourists visit Nagarkot every day. But due to road expansion and repair work, air pollution has increased of late,” said Rameshwor Dangal, local of Kamal Binayak, adding that it had posed a serious threat to public health. One cannot walk on the road without wearing mask.

Not only passengers and locals, even vehicle owners have been hit hard due to poor condition of the road. Because of the pits and potholes on the road, vehicles suffer damage every now and then.

“Due to the ignorance and irresponsible behavior of the authorities concerned, we have to bear  huge financial burden. I changed the engine and tyres of my vehicle four times in a month,” said Harish Tamang, a driver.

“In the name of road expansion and repair, Department of Roads destroyed the road which was in fairly good condition. We requested local authorities and DoR  to construct the road on time, but in vain,” he said.

“As per the contract, the road should have been repaired and extended before the local level elections but the contractor makes an excuse by saying that the work could not be completed due to elections and rainy season,” said Sunil Prajapati, the Mayor of Bhaktapur Municipality.