By Indira Aryal
Kathmandu, July 15: Lack of coordination among different government agencies has affected upgrading and maintenance of roads in the Kathmandu Valley. The Department of Roads (DoR) has faced hurdles in maintaining the given standards in lack of coordination between Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) and Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL).
DoR complained that the roads repaired and maintained in different sections of the Kathmandu Valley had been damaged while installing and repairing the drainage system, water pipe system and underground electrification.
Despite the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the government agencies to maintain the roads after accomplishing their task, the NEA and KUKL have not abided by the understanding, said the DoR.
“We maintain the road and blacktop it but other departments dig the road for drainage, water supply and electricity. After accomplishing their tasks, they leave the road without even covering the pits,” said Keshav Sharma, Director General at the Department of Road.
The NEA has started the underground electrification process in some 2km area of Maharajgunj and Airport area. As per the MoU signed between DoR and NEA, the NEA should maintain the road within one week, but it has been three months since it started the work, added Sharma.
“We have continuously worked even in the coronavirus lockdown period to shine the Kathmandu Valley’s roads, but some sections of road are dug for the purpose of drainage, some for water supply and some for electricity, there is no coordination and information mechanism among the government agencies,” Sharma added.
When asked about the underground electrification and unmanaged side tracks, information officer at the NEA, Lila Aryal, said that she did not have much information about the issue, whereas the Spokespersons at NEA did not entertain the phone call.
The DoR blacktopped some 50km road in the Kathmandu Valley out of 56 KM estimated for the current fiscal year. Sharma said that at least 84 per cent of the work had been completed, the labour problem in the valley prevented the accomplishment of the work.
DoR has blacktopped 736km of road across the country, with 61 per cent achievement. Likewise, 886km road was grabbled out of 12,00 targeted (73 per cent), 395 track built out of 500 (79 per cent), 310km road repaired and maintained out of 524km (59 per cent), and 170 bridges constructed out of 300 bridges (56 per cent) targeted to construct within the current fiscal year.
The big project of Butwal-Narayangadh road has been halted as the Chinese contractors went home during the Chinese festival in January and were stranded there due to the spread of coronavirus worldwide, Sharma said.
Sharma said that the Japanese contractor also went back home soon after the coronavirus fear in the country, without completing the responsibility of the construction of bridges and tunnels. The construction of bridges and tunnels also got halted due to lack of contractors and workers.
“We have obstacles in bigger projects than in small ones. The projects where we have hired foreign contractors have been halted from February,” Sharma added.