Baitadi. Baitadi: Nepal Telecom’s tower at Kafalkot Dhura of Dogadakedar Rural Municipality-2 in Baitadi district has stopped functioning. The tower, which was operational two years ago, has stopped functioning for the last one-and-a-half years.

Local residents have been deprived of communication facilities since the tower stalled functioning. There is no mobile network and the residents have also been away from the internet service. The locals who were happy after the installation of the tower are now disappointed. Internet and mobile services have been working well for six months after the operation of the tower, but there has been a problem for one and a half years.

There are about 350 households here. Krishna Bhat, a local, said the residents were forced to climb the hill for phone calls and internet service. He said, “When there is no phone line, we have to climb the hill and call. There is a lot of problem if you have to call somewhere for an emergency work. ’

Residents of Tallagaon, Patali, Sirad, Basad and Salyad have been climbing the hill to make phone calls. Pratap Mahara, a local, said it was difficult to get phone and internet facilities. He said, “There is no phone line in the village, you have to go upstairs and call, telecom does not listen to solve the problem.” ’

In the absence of phone and internet facilities, Rauleshwor Secondary School in Kafalkot is also facing problems in functioning. Principal of the school Narendra Bhat said that there is a problem in doing any work done online. “There is a lot of problem in doing online work. There is a compulsion to carry documents in bags and go to Silegada, Khochalek Bazaar. If you have to make an emergency call, you have to climb up the hill. ’

Local residents and people’s representatives complained that despite repeated requests to Nepal Telecom Baitadi regarding the tower’s failure to function, no action has been taken.

Although the office of Dogadakedar Rural Municipality-2 has repeatedly requested the Telecom in writing to solve the problem, the problem has not been resolved yet. Ward no. 2 ward chair Bishnu Dutta Bhatta said the problem in the tower was not resolved despite informing the telecom office in writing and verbally.

Residents are forced to climb the hill to make phone calls. “We have repeatedly requested in writing about the problem in the tower, but no hearing has been held so far,” he said. ’

Narayan Bhatta, chief of Nepal Telecom Baitadi, said there was a problem in the phone network as the Dhura tower did not have 2G facility. “Only 4G towers are in operation. There is a problem with the phone due to lack of 2G. ’

He claimed that the work of adding 2G will be done in a few days and the problem of the network will be solved. “We are preparing to add 2G to dhura tower. We will add 2G by August. After August, there is no compulsion to climb the hill to make a phone call. ’

He also said that there is a problem as there is only a single phase line of electricity in the Dhura tower. He said, “There is only a single phase line, so there is a problem in the network when there is no electricity. Chief Bhatta also said that preparations are underway to upgrade the Dhura tower.