BAJURA, JULY 24
Sanphe-Martadi road section in Bajura has been obstructed every year during the rainy season for the last four years.
The road section this year has also been obstructed since the beginning of monsoon.
But, the authorities concerned have not taken any initiative to open an alternative route.
Weeks back the road section was obstructed due to landslides and the Budiganga River swept away the road in Tribeni Municipality.
Landslides obstructed the road from Balde of Budiganga Municipality to Harde Khola of Badimalika Municipality. These local levels have been disconnected from the district headquarters Martadi after the road was swept away.
Ward 2 Chair of Budiganga Municipality Hiralal Thapa said that no initiative had been taken to find a permanent solution to the problem even thought the people have been facing this problem during monsoon for the last four years.
"The road section was obstructed completely for four months since the monsoon started last year," he said.
The road track was opened from Achham's Sanphebagar to Martadi.
Engineer Daman Bista at Road Division Office said that landslide had become a serious problem for the road section. He said that there was no base to construct the road as the landslide fell above the road and the river had eroded the road from the bottom. He added that two excavators had been kept on standby to clear the mud-slip from the road section.
Martadi Haatbazaar Management Committee Chairman Chakra Malla said that the road section was obstructed every year during monsoon for the last four years. "The provincial and federal governments have paid no attention to this problem and the local levels do not have sufficient budget to find an alternative to this road section," he added.
Malla said that the district dwellers had to suffer a lot following the same. The price of daily essentials had unexpectedly increased due to the obstruction of the road section. The materials have been supplied from Taprisera using labourers and mules.
Civil Society, Bajura, Chairman Madan Raj Jaisi said that no authority concerned was serious about looking for an alternative to this road. Badimalika Municipality Mayor Padam Baduwal said that the people had been facing problems due to obstruction of the road during the rainy season. "The federal government has to do something to address the problems," he added.
Meanwhile, Road Division Office, Sanphebagar, said that a road track from Dhuralsain to Dungree could be opened as an alternative to the road section.
Engineer Bista said that the DPR was sent to the federal government and the federal government's Physical Infrastructure Ministry had started discussion on this.
He said that opening a track from Dhuralsain to Dungree would require the acquisition a lot of arable land and people might protest. He said that a road from Balde to Maitola would be yet another alternative. Bista said that for this route a bridge should be built at Bhaunera.
A version of this article appears in the print on July 25 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
