By Kailash Lama
Dolakha, Mar. 24: Controversy has erupted over the Tamakoshi Corridor Project in Dolakha, the shortest north-south highway connecting the three countries – Nepal, India and China.
The construction of the route running from Bhittamod of Mahottari near the India-Nepal border to China via Lamabagar in Dolakha is now shrouded in uncertainty as the project grinds to a halt following growing dispute among locals. The federal government has allocated Rs. 52 million this year for the Bhittamod-Jaleshwore-Bardibas-Khurkot-Manthali-Tamakoshi-Singati-Lamabagar-Lapchegaon Project.
However, the work on the ambitious route hasn’t got off the ground due to protest and obstructions caused by residents of Baiteshwore Rural Municipality Ward No. 7 and 8. As a result of this, the allocated budget is under risk of freezing.
According to Bijay Kumar Mahato, Chief of Road Division Charikot, a 27-kilometre road moving from Banchare of Kalinchowk Rural Municipality Ward No. 4 to Baiteshwore Rural Municipality-7 and Tamakoshi Bazaar needs to be constructed for the route to pass. However, he said that the construction work of the corridor could not proceed as no decision could be taken on the direction from where the route should pass via Baiteshwore Ward. No 7 and 8.
For the corridor, there is a possibility of constructing the road from Namdu area and moving along Biruwabesi, Kesari Gumukhola to Banchare Danda, as it offers the most suitable and shortest route in accordance with the project criteria.
However, the locals have expressed their concern over this decision as the tarring and blacktopping of the road will adversely impact the settlements and farm lands of the inhabitants, as per Resham Rimal, Ward Chairperson of Ward No. 7. As a result of this dispute, the project hasn’t been able to devise a concrete plan for the Dolakha section.
Even if a consensus is reached between the locals and the builders, the project will still take over three months to begin.
As there isn’t enough time for all these works, the budget allocated for the project is likely to freeze, said Engineer Rajiv Shrestha of Division Road Charikot.