Myagdi: Repair work has begun on the Beni–Darbang road, which was damaged by erosion from the Myagdi River at Baloute in Malika Rural Municipality–6, Myagdi. The repair work is being carried out through a partnership between the Infrastructure Development Office, Malika Rural Municipality and hydropower projects under construction in the Myagdi River Basin.
Following continuous rainfall from September 24-27, floods eroded the road at Baloute, disrupting the main road connecting Malika, Mangala and Dhaulagiri rural municipalities with the district headquarters, Beni Bazaar. The flood damaged around 100 metres of road at the foot of the Dukhu Besi area, putting a nearby settlement at risk as well.
According to Resham Bahadur Jugjali, a Gandaki Provincial Assembly member elected from Myagdi Provincial Assembly Constituency No. 1 (B), hydropower projects under construction in the Myagdi River Basin have deployed excavators and tipper trucks to support the road repair work.
He said the Infrastructure Development Office is using stones provided by Malika Rural Municipality to fill gabion boxes and restore temporary road access. He added that the provincial government has pledged additional funds for permanent road repairs and the protection of the Dukhu Besi settlement.
“The Infrastructure Development Office is filling gabion boxes with stones provided by Malika Rural Municipality in an effort to temporarily reopen the road,” Jugjali said. “During an inspection of the Baloute landslide last week, Physical Infrastructure Minister Nanda Prasad Neupane pledged that the Gandaki Provincial Government would provide additional funds for permanent road repairs and the protection of the Dukhu Besi settlement.”
The provincial government has provided Rs 2.5 million for immediate road repairs. For a long-term solution, it has pledged to provide more than Rs 20 million, Provincial Assembly member Jugjali said.
Myagdi Khola, Upper Myagdi, Upper Myagdi-1, Darbang Myagdikhola and Mudikhola hydropower projects are supporting the repair work by deploying their equipment. Since the road is also used to transport construction materials and equipment for these hydropower projects, they have made their machinery available for the repairs.
The road was damaged after flooding in the Arman Khola altered the course of the Myagdi River, increasing erosion in the Baloute area. The damage has disrupted regular transportation services along the Beni–Darbang road.
To address the immediate disruption on the main road, an alternative route connecting Dukhu Besi to Tolabang through Dukhu Khola has been brought into operation by installing a culvert pipe. Anup Gauchan, spokesperson for the Malika Rural Municipality Executive Committee, said that although the alternative route is operational, permanent repairs to the main road and protection of the Dukhu Besi settlement are necessary for a long-term solution.
The alternative road currently in use is narrow, unpaved and has an unsuitable gradient, making it difficult for large vehicles to pass each other comfortably. Traffic has also increased on this route, which is used by residents of Taman Khola in Baglung as well as vehicles transporting construction materials and equipment for six hydropower projects under construction in the Myagdi Khola Basin.
This has made traffic management on the alternative route even more challenging. Therefore, locals have called for an integrated approach that includes permanent reconstruction of the damaged main road at Baloute, riverbank erosion control and protection of the Dukhu Besi settlement.
Jalasarokar
