KATHMANDU: When Dhanmaya Rokaya, a woman in labor suffered anemia due to excessive bleeding post delivery, her kin had to carry her on a cot for two days straight before she received any medical attention.

Kin of Rokaya carried her in their shoulders and walked an arduous walk for two days from Himali Rural Municipality to Kolti Primary Health Centre after a local medical facility failed to treat her.

Not only Rokaya and her relatives but all residents in remote outskirts of Bajura district share similar plights for lack of motorable roads in the region.

“It took us nearly a day and half to carry Dhankala from Himali Rural Municiapality to Pipal Dali, only if there was a motorable track, we could have traveled just a few hours to reach Kolti,” Khamma Rokaya who carried Dhankala said.

Locals of few rural municipalities in Bajura, Humla, Mugu and Kalikot have faced difficulties due to poor road networks. But Budi Nanda Municipality has turned a blind eye to the issue, chair of Himalai Rural Municipality Gobindra Bahadur Malla said.

Apart from carrying ailing persons, there are hassles in hauling daily essentials to the parts deprived of roads. And the denizens in those regions are impelled to pay inflated prices for basic goods.

“Locals are charged exorbitant prices for daily essentials as hauling costs go up in of lack of proper roadways,” Kuber Shahi of Swami Kartik Rural Municipality said, “Negligence of authorities has caused us unnecessary troubles.”

“Although a road connecting Himali Rural Municipality and Kalikot is in operation for the past three years, a 500-metre-stretch along the road section is yet to be constructed by Budi Nanda Municipality,” According to Chief District Officer Chet Raj Baral.

Given that, municipal authorities say that they have allocated a budget of Rs 3 million to open the track.

“We had also prioritised the construction of the stretch last year, but due to land compensation related issues, works could not proceed as planned,” Vice-Mayor Shristi Regmi said, “We have allocated Rs 3 million this year and will complete the remaining works within a few months.”