Mahakali Corridor nears completion

The Mahakali Corridor, a key infrastructure project in Sudurpaschim province, is 78 percent complete. This corridor is crucial for the region, with Baitadi district accounting for about 51 percent of its length. Stretching from Brahmadev in southern Kanchanpur through Jhulaghat in Baitadi, the corridor connects Darchula-Tinkar in the north, linking Nepal’s border with China and India. This road is expected to be of significant commercial importance.

The Federal Road Supervision and Monitoring Office is responsible for constructing 334 km of the 413 km-long corridor. Meanwhile, the Nepali Army has been tasked with building a 79 km stretch from Tusarpani to Tinkar in Darchula, which is a particularly rocky and difficult section. So far, the Army has completed 13 km of this portion, and the road department has opened 261 km of the remaining 334 km.

In the fiscal year 2024/25, the plan is to open an additional 20 km of track. The remaining sections in Jogbuda, Bhageswar (Dadeldhura), Bhir in Rodidewal (Pancheshwar, Baitadi), and Kansanigad (Dasharathchand Municipality) have already been tendered for construction.

The project initially began in 2009 as the Darchula-Tinkar Road, and it was renamed the Mahakali Corridor when it connected to Brahmadev in Kanchanpur in 2020. Last year, Rs 446.5m was allocated to open the road track, and this year’s budget of Rs 415m includes Rs 160m to cover past obligations.

In addition to road construction, paving work has also begun in Darchula, Kanchanpur, and Jogbuda, with Rs 1.2bn allocated for this purpose. Of the 273 km of opened tracks, 47 km have been paved, and one bridge has been built. In total, 35 bridges will be constructed along the corridor, with five in Kanchanpur, 10 in Dadeldhura, 10 in Baitadi, and nine in Darchula. The total cost of the project is estimated to be around Rs 13.49bn.

Delays due to lack of explosives and tree clearance hiccup

Despite receiving government approval to clear trees along the corridor, delays have occurred due to slow action from the Divisional Forest Office and a lack of explosives needed to cut through hard rock. According to the Mahakali Corridor Planning Office, tree clearance is necessary along several sections: 1,951 trees in the 11 km section of Kanchanpur, 10,476 in Dadeldhura, 4,596 in Baitadi, and 2,042 in Darchula. So far, 63 percent of the trees in the 101 km section (of the total 161 km) have been cut.

The Mahakali Corridor connects four districts of Sudurpaschim—Kanchanpur, Dadeldhura, Baitadi, and Darchula—to Pillar 1, located at the Nepal-China border near Taklakot. In addition to its commercial significance, the road will provide a shorter route for pilgrims traveling to Kailash Mansarovar.

Gorakh Bahadur Chand, chairperson of Pancheshwar Rural Municipality, highlighted the corridor’s importance, noting that its strategic location at the tri-national border will promote economic, social, cultural, touristic, and educational development in Sudurpaschim.

The corridor runs from Brahmadev in Kanchanpur along the Mahakali River in the south, passing through Parshuram Municipality (Dadeldhura), Bhageshwar Rural Municipality, Shivnath Rural Municipality (Baitadi), Pancheshwar Rural Municipality, Dashrath Chand Municipality, Dogadakedar Rural Municipality, and Lekam Rural Municipality (Darchula). It ends at Tinkar Naka in Byas Rural Municipality, passing through Malikarjun and Mahakali Municipalities, as well as Duhun Rural Municipality. This project is set to become a milestone in the development of Sudurpaschim province by providing easier transportation access and boosting regional growth.