Construction of dozens of mobile towers in limbo

Sindhulimadhi, August 2

Construction of dozens of GSM mobile towers has been left in limbo in Kavre, thanks to the apathy of Nepal Telecom and the concerned companies entrusted with the construction.

In the fiscal year of 2014/15, tower construction had started at 20 places. A Chinese company Huawei had been assigned the work.

Of the towers in construction phase in Hariharpurgadi, Pipalmadi, Kyaneshwor, Kapilakot, Bastipur, Dadiguranse, Mahadevsthan, Majhuwa, Jhara, Kusheshwor Dumja, Khangsang, Bhimsthan, Lampantar, Ratanchura, Tinkanya, Arunthakur and Kamalamai municipality, only eight towers in Kamalamai Municipality and Bhimsthan have been completed.

Though the delay in construction was earlier attributed to the border blockade and Tarai agitation, the stalled construction long after the blockade and agitation ended is unjustifiable.

Meanwhile, incomplete mobile towers worth over 10 million rupees have affected mobile phone users in the remote parts of the district.

As of now, a total of 13 GSM mobile towers, including six in the municipal area and one each in Harshadi, Dudhauli, Hatpate, Bhimseshwor, Jhara, Bhimsthan and Bhadrakali are in operation.

Places like Majhuwa, Hariharpurgadi, Jhara, Kholagaun, Belghari, Kakurthakur, Mahadevsthan villages have sky mobile towers in operation. In Kamalamai Municipality, however, towers of CDMA, Wi Max and landline telephone are also in operation.

As per data with Nepal Telecom Sindhuli, the district had 576 GSM postpaid mobile users, 35,798 GSM pre-paid mobile users, 636 sky mobile postpaid users, 13,484 pre-paid sky mobile users, among others, who are availing themselves of other services.