The underlying idea is great. The envisioned outer ring road, construction of which is to begin in upcoming June, is expected to improve the dismal state of traffic on the oft-chaotic roads of Kathmandu Valley and ease the burden on the existing ring road. The Outer Ring Road Development Project (ORDP) has reportedly completed Detailed Project Report (DPR) of 32-km stretch of the total 73.1 kilometres the road will eventually span over, going through 20 VDCs, one municipality and Metropolitan Kathmandu; 11 VDCs and two municipalities in Bhaktapur; and nine VDCs in Lalitpur.

The ORDP has come up with the DPR after conducting extensive studies on the impact of the new road on traditional settlements and development of a radial road connecting the existing

ring road with the one in the pipeline. The likely impact of the circular road on the environment and the societies living close by have also been studied in depth. If the project can be completed on time and if the costs stay within estimated limits, it will have gone a long way towards realising its goal of a congestion-free Kathmandu. But the road will justify its existence only if it can be brought to an optimal use, helping cut back on the volume of noxious gases released in the atmosphere by spreading the polluting agents within a wider area.