Myagdi. Myagdi: A total of 26 kilometers of Myagdi section has been blacktopped under the Beni-Jomsom-Korala road project, the Kaligandaki ‘Corridor’ of national pride, connecting China and India.

Of the 33 kilometres from Beni, the district headquarters of Myagdi, to Kavrebhir on the border of Mustang, 26 kilometres have been blacktopped and sloped, according to the Beni-Jomsom-Korala Road Planning Office.

Engineer Bishnu Chapagain, information officer of the project, said that slope and blacktopping have been done in areas other than seven kilometers where there is a problem of landslide and erosion. “We are preparing to finalize the contract as the construction companies have completed the amount of work as per the agreement,” he said, adding, “The process of upgrading the road has been forwarded through the new contract process in the areas where there is a problem of landslide and erosion.” ’

The contract was signed in 2074 BS to blacktop the road from Beni to Ghasa of Mustang by widening it by 11 meters. Out of the 19 kilometers of Rahughat-Nagdhunga section contracted by Sharma-United JV, 15 kilometers have been blacktopped.

Suman Bhattarai, project manager of Sharma-United, said that preparations are underway to blacktop an additional 500 meters on the Tilkeni-Ghumanetal-Chamere section. The cost of vo (variation order) has increased by 20 per cent out of the Rs 660 million contracted.

According to Narendra Neupane, project manager of the construction company, out of the 16.5 kilometers of Nagdhunga-Kaikukhola section, 11 kilometers have been blacktopped and sloped. The contract was signed at a cost of Rs 630 million for the three-kilometer stretch in Mustang and the rest in Myagdi.

The 800-metre kalipul road in Beni, two-kilometre-800-metre beni-Galeshwor road last year and one kilometre 300-metre road in Galeshwor were blacktopped two years ago. The work of upgrading the road, which started in the fiscal year 2073/74 BS, has reached the stage of completion after eight years.

Ramesh Purja, ward chair of Annapurna Rural Municipality-3, said that the project has been delayed by five years due to adverse geography, corona epidemic, floods and landslides, problems of river-related construction materials and contractors.

“We have taken initiatives to carry out works through separate contracts for the prevention and upgradation of the road in the landslide and erosion affected areas,” he said, adding, “Earlier it used to take four to five hours to travel on myagdi section of Beni-Jomsom road, which has now been reduced to one hour.” ’

According to the Planning Office, preparations have been made to invite contracts for landslide prevention in one kilometer slope, Guinthe and Khambhitta areas of Rupse and Latokhola areas of Annapurna Rural Municipality-3. The road, which was opened in 2064 BS, has been widened by 11 meters and the wall, drain construction, grade and mode have been improved towards the corner and deal.

Similarly, motorable bridges have been constructed at Rahughat, Begkhola, Mahabhir and Pokharebagar of Myagdi, Ghattekhola of Dana, bailey bridge at Bhurungkhola and Rupse khola. The 435-km Kaligandaki Corridor road connecting India and China is considered to be the lifeline of Gandaki State.

Around 90 per cent physical progress has been made so far in the project started in 2073/74 BS for blacktopping and gravelling a 202-km-long road connecting Maldhunga of Parbat to Korlanaka bordering China at Mustang via Myagdi.