Kathmandu, July 29:

The worsening condition of Tapinta-Bijeshwori road in Purano Dhalko has been troubling people.

“It becomes very difficult to walk through the road full of potholes,” a local, Sharada Bhatta, said. “Over-speeding vehicles make the situation worse.”

Suraj Thapa, owner of Deepak Motor workshop situated on the roadside, said, “Every year employees from the Road Division and the Kathmandu Metropolitan City come for field visits and estimate cost of the road’s maintenance. But the road has not been repaired for the last six years.”

“During the winter season, the road gets dusty and we have to wear masks,” he said. Another local, Sirish Kachhayapati, said that eight years have passed since the KMC’s officials first visited the area and estimated the maintenance cost.

“The KMC officials did not fulfill their promise to blacktop the road on the ground that it lacked

sufficient budget,” Kachhayapati said.

Project Manager of Bishnumati Link Road Sub Project Rabindra K Paudyal said, “The Asian Development Bank had initiated this project in 1996.

However, the ADB later backtracked after the government failed to provide compensation to the locals, whose land was acquired by the government for the road project, within two years.

Who is responsible

The ADB had promised to construct the road. After the ADB backed off, the government has forwarded a proposal to the donor agency, urging the ADB to reconsider the Rs 120 million project. Of the total cost, the ADB had originally agreed to provide 50 per cent on loan. It was the duty of the government and KMC to bear the rest of the costs. If the donor agrees to provide aid again, we would start blacktopping the road soon.

Rabindra K Paudyal, Project Manager of Bishnumati Link Road Sub Project