KAVREPALANCHOWK: Passengers have been facing severe difficulties this monsoon season due to the stalled upgrade of the Dhulikhel-Khawa road section along the Araniko Highway.
Despite being under construction for nearly four years, progress on the road remains minimal, prompting the Division Road Office in Bhaktapur to terminate the contract with the previous contractor for failing to deliver within the stipulated timeframe.
Although funds have been secured for the road upgrade, the Division Office stated that initiating work with a new contractor will still take some time.
The original contract, awarded to Gauri-Parvati Nirman Sewa in June 2022 for Rs 200.1946 million, was supposed to be completed within 22 months.
However, even after an additional 11 months past the deadline, less than 25 percent of the work had been completed, leading to contract termination on Falgun 15 last year.
Following the termination, the contractor filed a case in the Patan High Court. The court issued an interim order barring the blacklisting of the company, confiscation of its deposit, or any other punitive action, effectively stalling further construction work.
In the meantime, the Road Division Office has attempted to ease the situation for commuters by filling potholes along the route. Office Chief and Senior Divisional Engineer Suman Yogesh stated that a new project estimate is being prepared, and the contract process is expected to resume within two to two and a half months.
The aim is to begin work by the last week of Bhadra or Asoj. A budget of Rs 420 million has been secured for this purpose.
Despite an earlier written response from the contractor, the office found it unsatisfactory and had no option but to terminate the agreement.
So far, only the hillside cutting from Dhulikhel Bus Park to the zipline section has been completed, with limited drainage work done in a few areas.
A one-kilometer stretch from the zipline to Tal Khawa still requires cutting, and attempts to lay base and sub-base layers in late Jestha were washed away by heavy rains.
The prolonged delays have not only caused major inconvenience to passengers but also led to several road accidents on the unfinished and damaged stretch.
The road, planned to be widened to 12 meters and blacktopped, was designed to include a 20-centimeter-thick cement-mixed gravel base — a first of its kind in Nepal.
This road is of strategic importance as it connects to the northern border with China via Tatopani and also serves Dolakha and Ramechhap districts.
Comment