KATHMANDU, NOV 14 -Work on the Mahakali Corridor, a north-south road in the country’s far west, has gained momentum with the government moving to do a detailed project report (DPR) of the southern section.Building work of the 100-km Darchula-Tinkar section in the northern part has been underway for the last three years. The southern part of the road will link Tanakpur-Jhulaghat-Darchula.
The Mahakali Corridor is one of the nine high-priority north-south roads planned by the government to link the mountainous north to the southern plains. The road that will pass through Tanakpur-Jhulaghat-Darchula-Tinkar is considered to be one of the most important highway projects for the development of the Far Western Region.
“We will be preparing the DPR of the lower section within this fiscal year with a target to start construction from the next fiscal year,” said Gopal Prasad Sigdel, project chief of the Asset Management, Contract Management and Quality Control Project. The project handles north-south corridor road projects.
Although the total length of the planned road has not yet been confirmed, it is estimated to be 250 km long. According to the project, it has invited expressions of interest (EoI) from potential consultants. One from among the short listed candidates will be selected to prepare the DPR of the 150-km section.
The government has allocated Rs 15 million for the DPR in this fiscal year’s budget. Starting from Tanakpur near the Indian border, the Mahakali Corridor will connect Tinkar near the Chinese border. According to the Department of Roads (DoR), construction work on the Darchula-Tinkar section started in 2010, and it plans to open 50 km of track by the end of the fiscal year. The government has allocated a budget of Rs 250 million for the section this year.
Since the Mahakali Corridor is as important as other north-south link roads, the DoR is also planning to request the government to list it as a national priority project.
Sigdel said they would ask the government to list the corridor project as a national pride project to give its construction a boost. Other north-south links, the Karnali, Koshi and Kali Gandaki corridors, have been listed as national pride projects, according to him.
After the Mahakali Corridor is completed, it will serve as an important north-south trade route since Darchula is already connected by road to the Tarai districts of the Far Western Region. The road is also expected to boost religious tourism as it will be one of the shortest routes to Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet.
Even though the government has put the north-south roads in its priority list, construction has not progressed as fast as anticipated, according to government officials. The Karnali, Koshi and Kali Gandaki corridor roads have been given Rs 510 million for the current fiscal year.
Meanwhile, the DoR has called EoIs for a feasibility study for a road project linking Beltarbazar (Udaypur)-Kamphughat-Pamakham Bhanjyang-Temke-Sapsudhap-Mayur Danda-Salpa Pokhari-Gudel-Solu Salleri (Solukhumbu). The feasibility study being carried out this year will produce a detailed alignment
and show how important the road is economically to conduct the DPR in the next fiscal year.
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