Jajarkot, August 22

Jajarkot’s Kushe Rural Municipality has decided to ban use of heavy equipment in small projects.

Citing the fact that the use of machines are taking away job opportunities for locals,the rural municipality decided to ban the use of heavy equipment such as excavators and dozers in road construction and other projects costing less than Rs 10 million.

"The Executive had decided to implement this decision from this fiscal itself,” said rural municipality Chair Harichandra Basnet, adding projects can, however, use heavy equipment upon the recommendation of technicians

In the past two years, the rural municipality has completed opening track of around 142 km of road under 12 road projects. Track-opening of three more roads remain.

“Whether it is opening the track for roads or upgrading roads, we’re committed to completing them by using local youths,” said Basnet, hoping the decision to ban heavy equipment would help stop the flight of local youths to India and other countries for work to some extent.

Further, the rural municipality clarified that its decision to ban heavy equipment had to do partly with concerns for the environment.

“As indiscriminate use of heavy equipment sans environment impact assessment is increasing risk of landslide and other environmental problems, we thought limiting the use of heavy equipment would minimise such risk,” he said.“There are some ward chairs in the rural municipality who own dozers and excavators. They protested the rural municipality’s decision. But we passed the decision despite their protest,” said Basnet.