Kathmandu, February 12

Though the government had begun road expansion campaign in 2011, major road sections of the Valley are yet to be expanded.

According to Central Regional Road Directorate of the Department of Roads, the expansion process has still not begun properly due to continuous obstruction on the Nagdhunga-Kalanki, Jorpati-Sankhu, Gwarko-Imadol-Lubhu, and Dholahiti-Sunakothi-Chapagaun road sections.

The tentative deadline for the expansion process was set to July 2017, while the road expansion process resumed again in July last year. “Due to obstruction from locals and various government agencies, just 25 per cent of the expansion process has been completed so far.” Ayodhya Prasad Shrestha, regional director at the Central Regional Road Directorate told The Himalayan Times, “At this pace and if obstructions continue, the projects will not be completed even in the next six to seven years.”

Shrestha said the department was ready to blacktop roads if sites were cleared by demolishing illegally constructed buildings by July 15, 2017. Locals have been obstructing the expansion process demanding compensation for the demolition of their buildings, and government agencies such as Nepal Telecom and Nepal Electricity Authority have not cleared roadsides of electric and telecom poles and wires.

The Kathmandu Valley Development Authority said that with the emergence of new local leaders for elections, obstruction by locals has intensified. Development Commissioner at KVDA, Bhaikaji Tiwari, said, “With the local elections coming, we are having to deal with new political leaders and their new demands these days.”

According to KVDA, more than 200 kilometres of road remains to be widened, whereas about 300 kilometres of road has been widened so far since the process began. Locals of Kalimati, Soltimod, Teku, Naikap, Satungal, and Thankot are strongly protesting road expansion. Cases have also been filed against the road expansion campaign.

The Kathmandu Valley Road Improvement Project had resumed the expansion of 53 kilometres of road segments in Kathmandu Valley in July last year. The project had started widening Tripureshwor-Kalanki, Chabahil-Jorpati-Sankhu, Jorpati-Sundarijal, Lagankhel-Satdobato, Imadol-Siddhipur-Godawari, Karmanasa-Harisiddhi, Dholahiti-Sunakothi-Chapagaun, and Nakkhu-Bhaisepati-Bungamati road stretches.

The road expansion process has caused an increase in dust pollution in the Valley. The Kathmandu Metropolitan City has been receiving complaints of dust pollution, especially from people living in and around areas where road expansion projects are ongoing. Earlier, the Parliamentary Development Committee had directed the government to complete the projects by the end of the current fiscal year.