Apihimal Rural Municipality Connected to Road Network

Darchula. Apihimal Rural Municipality has been connected to the road network. The road has reached Ward No. 3, Gauriyakhola, which is 23 kosh northwest of Khalanga.

The Sudurpaschim Province Government has also prioritized this plan in its policy and program for the upcoming financial year with the objective of connecting the municipalities that are not yet connected to the road network.

It is mentioned in the policy and program of the provincial government, "The goal is to connect Apihimal Rural Municipality, Saipal Rural Municipality, and Swamikartik Khapar Rural Municipality, which have not yet been connected to the road network, with the provincial and local road network."

The federal government has given special priority to connecting the road. Apihimal Rural Municipality has been advancing the construction by continuously prioritizing the road.

"Due to the lack of roads, the locals have been facing difficulties in transportation, development construction, and transportation of daily necessities for years. Locals have faced problems due to transportation in Api. Transportation cost from Makarigad to Khwaseshwari Ghus was Rs. 10 per kilo," said local Khadak Rokaya, "With the road reaching the village, transportation costs will be easier."

While the road had only reached Makargad in Apihimal Rural Municipality-5, the expansion to Bhattar village has now given locals hope of reaching the road, he said.

Local Deepak Tamta expressed confidence that daily life will be easier with the possibility of the road reaching the rural municipality center. According to him, the road has already expanded beyond Bhattar, and with the construction continuing, locals believe that vehicles will operate to the municipality center soon.

The rural municipality center is located in Ward No. 4, Naupata. The road connects Wards No. 3 and 4 of the rural municipality. The road will gain momentum here as there is no rocky terrain to cut.

Apihimal-1 and 2 are unlikely to be connected to the road network immediately. However, locals say that even reaching Kafaldhar in Ward No. 3 will provide some relief to other wards. The road construction is being carried out by VNB Construction, Surkhet.

Dharmasingh Dhami, a representative of the construction company, informed that although the work will not be completed within the current financial year, efforts are being made to reach the municipality center in the upcoming fiscal year.

Due to the lack of roads, the transportation of construction materials has been expensive and there have been problems in the implementation of various projects. With the expansion of the road, it is expected that development construction work will become easier.

According to Bhaktasingh Thekare Bohara, Chairman of Apihimal Rural Municipality, the road will be connected to Kafaldhar within this financial year. The road construction has now moved to an easier terrain after overcoming the hard rocky part from Makarigad to Bhattar. "The road will reach the municipality headquarters soon," he said, "The new financial year (upcoming fiscal year) will be an important year for the development of Apihimal."

According to Chairman Bohara, the contract for the upgrading of the Paribagar-Makarigad road has already been awarded. The upgrading including blacktopping will be completed within two years. The contract for the construction of a motorable bridge at Makarigad has been awarded to be completed within two years. He said that a budget of Rs. 7 crore has been secured for the road connecting Apihimal-4 and 3, and the road will reach the municipality center in the upcoming fiscal year.