Government Resumes Paving Process for Karnali Highway Section After Budget Approval

Kali Bahadur Pariyar
Jumla. The government has resumed the process to pave the Nagma-Gamgadi section of the Karnali Highway. After being stalled for nearly three years due to a lack of budget, the construction phase for the Nagma to Gamgadi road has now entered with budget assurance.

According to the Division Office of Roads, Jumla, a tender has been called for paving 15 kilometers of the road from Nagma to Dewargaun after the budget was approved by the government. Division Office Chief Shrawankumar Mahatara formally announced the tender call on Sunday.

He stated that a budget of Rs 916.6 million has been approved in total. The cost will be determined based on the proposal accepted through the bidding process. High-standard paving, specifically using asphalt concrete technology, will be employed on the 15-kilometer stretch from Nagma to Dewargaun. Since a multi-year budget has also been approved for the Nagma-Gamgadi Highway, it is expected that the construction work will continue consistently in the long term.

Paving of 6 kilometers of the road in the Kankasundari Rural Municipality area was completed four years ago. Subsequently, further work could not proceed due to a lack of necessary funds. For a long time, the road remained unfinished, forcing residents of Jumla and Mugu to undertake risky journeys.

It is reported that the budget was approved through the National Planning Commission and the Ministry of Finance after Madhav Prasad Chaulagai took charge as the Minister for Physical Infrastructure, Urban Development, Forest, and Environment of Jumla.

In this regard, it is mentioned that continuous pressure was exerted on Finance Minister Rameswor Khanal. Residents of Jumla and Mugu had been urging for the paving of the Nagma-Gamgadi Highway since the time the Finance Minister visited Jumla as the Chairman of the Finance Commission, and even after assuming responsibility for the Ministry of Finance.

The road from Nagma to Mugu is considered a strategic route connecting the north and south. As one of the shorter routes leading to China via Sinja-Mugu-Nakche Lagna, it holds potential for national and international access.

It is anticipated that if the road is upgraded, there will be a significant increase in tourism activities for both domestic and foreign tourists visiting Rara and Sinja areas. Improved transportation is believed to support the hotel business, employment, and market expansion for local products.

However, locals complain that the road remains risky due to fragmented small projects, as some construction entrepreneurs left work unfinished in the past. Out of the 93-kilometer long Nagma to Gamgadi highway, 6 kilometers in the Kankasundari area have been paved. With an additional 15 kilometers scheduled for paving in the current fiscal year, there is hope that the remaining sections will also be constructed in phases.