Dhading. Electric poles on both sides of the road have become a major obstacle in the expansion of the Prithvi Highway.

The Nagdhunga-Muglin road project has hit a snag as the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) is dillydallying in shifting the poles along the road. The expansion works of the Nagdhunga-Muglin road section from Naubise to Dharke bazaar area, Banchhetar, Jarekhet and Belkhu of Galchhi Rural Municipality and Ghatbensi and Pokharakhola of Gajuri Rural Municipality have not been able to speed up the pace of the project.

Keshav Raj Ojha, an engineer at the eastern section of the project, said that the NEA has delayed shifting the poles. The road project has blacktopped all the roads except the poles in some places while the work has been left incomplete by laying gravel in some places. In some places, the risk of accidents has increased as only the poles have been dug up around the poles.

Although an agreement has been reached between the Development Assistance Implementation Division of the Department of Roads and the Bagmati Province Office of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) to bear the cost of shifting the electric poles in course of the road expansion, the implementation aspect seems to be weak. The NEA has given the responsibility to the contractor to shift the poles and the contractor has delayed the work.

According to Engineer Ojha, out of 500 poles to be shifted in the eastern section, around 100 are yet to be shifted.

Sher Bahadur Sunar, an engineer at Nepal Electricity Authority’s Bagmati Province Province Office, however, claimed that the project has not been delayed and works are underway. “It’s a work in progress, it’s a practical difficulty. More can be said only after understanding with the contractor,” he said.

The lack of coordination among the working bodies and the delay of the contractors have hampered the development works of the national pride projects, especially in sensitive areas like highways, and the journey has become risky.