Tamor corridor works fail to speed up

Phidim, July 5

The construction of the Tamor Corridor that links four eastern hilly districts with Tarai has failed to pick up pace for want of sufficient budget.

The work on the corridor, beginning from Mulghat, Dhankuta along the banks of the Tamor river failed to speed up as the project has not been given due priority and adequate budget, placed as it is in the second number of the South-North Lokmarga Project.

Although four years have passed since construction work started, the 10-kilometre track is yet to be dug from Mulghat to Majhitar in Panchthar.

A source at the project said that it was having hard time opening the track from Mulghat to Majhitar due to minimal budget.

Chief Engineer Kuber Nepali of the project’s Taplejung section said that work has not speeded up due to the meagre budget allocated by the government.

Some years back, a detailed survey had been conducted to connect Majhitar with Dobhan in Taplejung.The Department of Roads has sent the same proposal to the Ministry of Transport for approval.

Completion of the proposed Tamor Corridor would help residents of Taplejung, Panchthar, and Terhathum to reach Tarai through a shorter route.

Taplejung’s Fungling bazaar is 17 kilometres away from Dobhan. The distance from Phidim to Dhankuta is 70 km and Fungling to Dhankuta is 129 km.

One has to prepare for journeys of 240 kilometres and 156 kilometres from Taplejung and Phidim respectively to reach Birtamode in Jhapa through the Mechi Highway.

It takes ten hours to get to Dharan of Sunsari from Taplejung. Once the corridor is completed, the distance can be travelled in three hours, said Engineer Nepali. Around 29 million was allocated for this road construction this year.

The Tamor Corridor will shorten the distance of the Mid-hill Highway too at Aathrai area in Terhathum.

Kathmandu can be reached through the Mid-hill Highway by getting to Chatara from Mulghat of Dhankuta.

Locals have demanded that this road project be accorded high priority.

Under the North-South Project, another track of 51 kilometres was opened of the 123 kilometres road section from Dobhan-Taplejung (Fungling) to the border area in Tiptala of Olangchunggola.

Till date, Rs 250 million has been invested in the project. Engineer Nepali said that the distance of this road from Tiptala to India’s Jogbani is 200 kilometres.