Since July 2018, the con­struction of the Dhan­gadhi-Dipayal fast track has been abandoned. Dhan­gadhi and Dipayal are the respective headquarters of Kailali and Doti districts. Ear­lier, when Dhangadhi was cho­sen as the provincial capital, the state’s political leaders, including the chief minister, had committed to complete the fast track in two years. According to the initial Detailed Project Report, the fast track covered 84 kilome­ters between Kailali’s Khut­iya to Dipayal. However, after the project came under the purview of the provincial government, the fast track was extended to 105 km to connect Dhangadhi with Dipayal via Khutiya, which is half the length of the Dhan­gadhi-Dadeldhura-Dipayal highway on which the locals now travel.

Far-West province government had listed the Dhangadhi-Dipayal fast track as a top priority

A second Environmental Impact Evaluation (EIE) for this project had to be carried out. Birendra Bahadur Chand, the engineer in charge of the second EIE, says another EIE was necessary because more trees were being felled. “The second EIE report is now col­lecting dust at the Ministry of Forests and Environment. Construction could not pro­ceed as there were trees on the track,” he says.

Apart from blacktopping, there have already been appli­cations for five other construc­tion works on the fast track. The section from Dhangadhi’s Hasanpur to Khutiya is now 80 percent complete. Except for a maintenance contract worth Rs 7.1 million, all the work on the fast track is in disarray.

"The second Environmental Impact Evaluation report is now collecting dust at the Ministry of Forests and Environment"

Birendra Bahadur Chand, Engineer

Only 40 percent work is complete in the 20-km Muda Bazar-Babena section. This contract was awarded to Ash­ish Nirman Sewa on April 2017 for Rs 230 million and the work was supposed to be completed in 30 months. Chand says the work on six kilometers of this road stalled because there were trees in the section.

The contract for the 4-km section from Ojhena to BP Nagar was given to Shyam Sundar Saud Construction for Rs 29.5 million in June 2017. The contract stipulated that the work was to be completed in 11 months, but even after 18 months, 20 percent work remains incomplete.

Only 20 percent work is complete in the 8-km-long BP Nagar-Kaftadi section. Shyam Sundar Saud Construction had been awarded this contract for Rs 62.5 million a year and a half ago. The completion date was January 9, yet 80 percent of work remains incomplete.

Work on the 50-km section from Kafaltadi to Salena has also been abandoned. The work on this section given to Surya Construction Pvt Ltd for Rs 90 million is only 40 percent complete. Since there are trees hindering the road’s construction and the cabinet has not approved their felling, the work has stopped.

The first cabinet meeting of the Far-West Province government had listed the Dhangadhi-Dipayal fast track as one of its top priorities. The provincial government has allocated only Rs 120 mil­lion for the fast track. “It’s woefully inadequate. When the required budget is Rs 430 million, how one can make do with Rs 120 million?” asks Chand. “If the cabinet approves the tree-felling, the payment of over Rs 300 million has to be sanctioned within this fiscal,” he adds.

Lack of human resources has also been an obstacle to the fast track’s construction. Locals are visibly frustrated by the delay.