Kathmandu — Electricity poles along the roadside have become a major obstacle in the expansion of the Prithvi Highway. Delays by the Nepal Electricity Authority in relocating these poles have hindered progress on the Nagdhunga–Muglin road project.
In particular, work has not been able to move forward rapidly in the eastern section of the Nagdhunga–Muglin road project, especially in areas from Naubise to Dharke Bazaar, including Banchetar, Jarekhhet, and Belkhu in Galchhi Rural Municipality, as well as Ghatbesi, Pokharekhola, and the surrounding areas of Gajuri Bazaar in Gajuri Rural Municipality.
According to Keshavraj Ojha, an engineer in the project’s eastern section, delays by the electricity authority in moving the poles have even forced work to come to a halt at times. In some places, blacktopping has been completed around the poles, leaving the exact spots where the poles stand untouched, while in others, gravel has been laid but work remains incomplete. In several locations, the ground around the poles has been excavated, leaving the poles standing in isolation and increasing the risk of accidents.
Although an agreement was reached between the Department of Roads’ Development Assistance Implementation Division and the Nepal Electricity Authority’s Bagmati Provincial Office—under which the road project would bear the cost of relocating the poles—the implementation has been weak. The authority had assigned the relocation work to a contractor, but delays on the contractor’s part have slowed progress.
Out of approximately 500 poles that needed to be relocated in the eastern section, around 100 still remain. However, these remaining poles are significantly affecting work on the main section, Ojha said.
Engineer Sher Bahadur Sunar from the Nepal Electricity Authority’s Bagmati Provincial Office, however, claimed that there has been no delay and that the work is ongoing. “The work is in progress; it’s a matter of practical difficulties. We can say more only after consulting the contractor,” he said.
A lack of coordination among the responsible agencies and delays by the contractor have obstructed development work in a sensitive area like a national highway, increasing travel risks despite the project’s status as one of national pride.
RSS