Vast majority of Vheri Corridor road and bridge contracts stalled

Surkhet. The contract awarded for the construction of the road from Tallubagar in Nalgad Municipality-12 of Jajarkot to Tripurasundari Municipality-1 of Dolpa under the Bheri Corridor has been stalled for a long time.< /p>

Similarly, the condition of the under-construction bridge from Kalimati in Nalgad Municipality to Tripurasundari in Dolpa is also dire. Two contracts have been awarded for the road from Tallu to Tripurakot. The contract for Tallubagar-Triveni was awarded to Cab Construction for Rs 88 crore 62 lakh in October 2082.< /p>

Likewise, the contract for the Triveni-Tripurakot section for Rs 85 crore was awarded to Mainachuli-Sisne JV in July 2082, but work has not even started. Nearly a year after the contract was awarded, the construction entrepreneur has not started work at the construction site. The construction entrepreneur who took responsibility for the first section has done minimal work on the Tallubagar-Triveni section, and construction is currently halted. Construction company engineer Supendra Shakya cited the increase in petroleum prices and problems in transporting crusher machines as reasons.< /p>

In the second section, nine months after the contract was awarded, not a single worker is present at the construction site. Company engineer Devendra Ghimire says that construction will begin soon after establishing a site office in Khadang. This corridor connects Nepal with China and India. Local residents have expressed dissatisfaction as the Bheri Corridor upgrading work, whose track was opened in 2075 BS, has become uncertain due to the construction entrepreneurs. Project chief Naresh Kesari informed that the construction entrepreneurs have been defiant despite repeated reminders from the Bheri Corridor office.< /p>

6 Bridges over Bheri River Stalled< /p>

Eight years ago, the Nepali Army opened the track of the road section from Jajarkot headquarters to Chhalsgad in Dolpa (103 km) and handed it over to the Road Division Office, Chaurjahari.< /p>

The construction of bridges from Kalimati to Chhalsgad in the same road section has been stalled due to non-commencement. Out of the 14 small and large bridges remaining to be contracted in the same section, contracts for 11 have been awarded in the current fiscal year. Project chief Kesari informed that the design work for the remaining two bridges has started and contracts are being prepared. The blacktopping work of the 56 km section from Jajarkot headquarters Khalanga to Nalgad Municipality-12 Tallu is in the final stage.< /p>

Among the bridges of the Bheri Corridor including Phulbari Khola, Chisapani Khola, Khahare Khola, Ghattte Khola, Manka Khola, Rijigaar, Usum Khola, Karpagad, Khadang, Khadang Bheri, Chungaad, Tripurakot, Galli Gad, and Khorkhol, contracts for only Tripurakot and Bheri are yet to be awarded.< /p>

The total length of this corridor is 310 km. This road will be completed by reaching the final point of Marim, i.e., the border of China, passing through Surkhet, Salyan, Jajarkot, Rukum Paschim, and Dolpa. Project chief Kesari stated that the project is important as it is the shortest route connecting India, Nepal, and China.< /p>

There is no information on when the construction of the bridges in the Bheri Corridor (Jajarkot-Dolpa), which have been stalled for six years, will be completed. The political leadership and employees of this region have faced criticism due to the non-completion of the concrete bridge contracts awarded six years ago.< /p>

Caravan Hirachan JV had taken the contract for the concrete bridges over Jajarkot's Nalgad and Jhurme rivers for Rs 18 crore 43 lakh 43 thousand on January 20, 2077 BS. Similarly, the same company took the contract for Tritra Khola, Madai Khola, and Taksugad Chauka for Rs 13 crore 54 lakh. These bridges are important structures of the Bheri Corridor.< /p>

Likewise, the construction of the bridge over the Bheri River at Tallu in Nalgad Municipality-12 and the bridge at Chhalsgad in Tripurasundari Municipality-1 of Dolpa has started. The construction of the Khadang bridge has not yet started due to disputes. Similarly, the work on the Chhahare Khola bridge in Rukum Paschim's Athbiskot Pipallchaur and the Pipre Khola bridge in Jajarkot Bheri Municipality-1 is nearing completion.< /p>

Currently, vehicles can reach the headquarters of Dolpa directly from Nepalgunj, Surkhet, and Kathmandu. Former minister Dhan Bahadur Budha stated that the Bheri Corridor was named and prioritized nationally with the expectation of facilitating trilateral transit services.< /p>

Due to the lack of road access for citizens of three rural municipalities in Upper Dolpa, which is connected to the country's northern border, they are forced to walk for up to a week to reach the district headquarters Dunai.< /p>

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