Work underway on 50 km stretch in Bajura; project aims to link India and China
BAJURA, MARCH 22
Construction work for blacktopping along a section of the Karnali Corridor, a national pride project, has begun alongside road upgrading works in Bajura.
According to project officials, work has started on a 50-kilometre stretch from Pilichaur in Bajura to Tumcha in Sarkegad Rural Municipality of Humla. The section includes 23.7 km from Pilichaur to Kuwadi and 27.3 km from Kuwadi to Tumcha.
Project Chief Bisundar Lama said contracts for the blacktopping and upgrading works were awarded last year, marking the first time such large-scale investment-worth over Rs 3 billion-has been allocated for the corridor.
The Pilichaur–Kuwadi section was awarded to PS Construction for Rs 1.10 billion, while the Kuwadi–Tumcha stretch has been contracted to Singh Contech JV at Rs 1.18 billion. Both contracts were signed in mid-2025 with a completion deadline of three years.
According to Gobindra Bahadur Malla, chair of Himali Rural Municipality, construction on the Pilichaur–Kuwadi section is progressing rapidly.
However, work on the Kuwadi–Tumcha section has yet to begin, even eight months after the agreement was signed. The project office said work on that section will start soon.
The Karnali Corridor spans 123 kilometres from Khulalu in Kalikot to Hilsa in Humla via Bajura. The road track was initially opened by the Nepali Army, which was assigned the project in 2014 after delays due to difficult terrain and other challenges.
The Army handed over 112 kilometres of the track to the Department of Roads in January 2024, while work is still ongoing on the remaining 11 kilometres.
The road upgrade and blacktopping works are now being carried out under the North-South Trade Route Expansion Project of the Department of Roads.
The Karnali Corridor is envisioned as a strategic tri-nation route linking Nepal with India in the south and China in the north. It is also the only road access to Humla.
Locals in Bajura, Kalikot, Mugu and Humla have expressed optimism that the project will significantly improve connectivity, boost economic opportunities and ease travel, including for tourists heading to Rara Lake.
Provincial Assembly member Naresh Shahi said the road would serve as a backbone for regional development and help lift communities out of poverty.
