Baglung Road Blacktopped

Baglung. The road connecting Baglung's Nisi Khola Rural Municipality-5 Nisel Dhor has been blacktopped. The 6-kilometer road has been upgraded with an investment of Rs 7.2 million allocated by the Gandaki Province government and Nisi Khola Rural Municipality in the current fiscal year. Nisel Dhor, located west of Nepal's only Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve office, is famous as a tourist destination.

Nisi Khola Rural Municipality's Information Officer Dilram Bada Magar informed that the road upgrade was carried out with Rs 6 million from the Gandaki Province government and Rs 1.2 million from the rural municipality. Nisel Dhor, considered the most remote area in Baglung district, was connected by a motorable road only six years ago. This year, the road was widened, drainage was constructed, and gravelling was done in some places.

The road connecting Dhorpatan to Nisel Dhor was completed in the fiscal year 2076-77. Although the road from Dhorpatan Municipality-9 via Nibi and Bhuji to Mas Khola was good, the road above that was prone to sinking and mud, making it impossible for vehicles to pass. Batha Magar stated that MS TAS Engineering and Construction, which took over the contract on November 12 last year, completed the work in the last week of Baishakh.

He said, "The deadline for the road upgrade work was the last week of Jestha, but the construction company finished the work in Baishakh. The road here was very narrow and difficult, making travel arduous, but now it has become easier. Now there will be no problem operating vehicles on this road for twelve months."

Due to the narrow and difficult road, transportation to Nisel Dhor used to be disrupted for about five months during the rainy season. Locals are happy with the road upgrade. Local Samjhana Rasaili said that she used to transport food for five months starting from Baishakh due to the lack of transportation during the rainy season, and now she hopes that problem will be solved. She added that the road up to the village is now wide and well-managed.

"The road coming to the village was very difficult, and the people here suffered a lot. Now, even during the rainy season, vehicles will run," she said. "Since the road opened, vehicles could not run during the rainy season until now. This year, the government has improved the road, and we expect vehicles to come."

A decade ago, locals who used to stay in Nisi with their livestock only during the rainy season now stay in Nisel Dhor throughout the year. Currently, about 300 households reside in Nisel Dhor during the rainy season and about 150 households during the winter.

Agricultural products such as potatoes, apples, and simi are produced well in Nisel Dhor, but marketing was a problem due to the poor condition of the road. Local Kum Bahadur Gharti said that it will be easier now. Due to the poor condition of the road, local products have not been marketed so far.