Dolpa connected to national road network

-Narayan Neupane
Kathmandu, November 18: Dunai, the headquarters of Dolpa district, a trans-Himalayan district, has been connected to the national road network, thanks to the tireless efforts by the Nepalese Army.
The Nepalese Army has opened the track of the 103 kilometres road from Pasagadh in Jajarkot to Supani of Tripurasundari in Dolpa connecting the Dolpa district to the national road network. With this, the headquarters of all 76 districts except Humla have been connected to the national road network. The track of the 14-kilometre Supani to Dunai section of the 103-kilometres road had been opened with the investment by the local bodies and the MP’s constituency development fund.
The North-South highway with strategic value also contributes to connectivity between Marimla of Tibet Autonomous Region of People’s Republic of China and Rupaidiha of India.
It is believed that expansion of the road connectivity to Dolpa, the largest district of the country in Karnali province fill of natural beauty and diversity, will transform the pace of development in the province.
Construction of this road will also contribute greatly to promoting and expanding tourism in Dolpa district including in the famous Shey-Phoksundo lake and national park.
Nepalese Army has stated that the highway linking Jajarkot, Rukum and Dolpa has been constructed as per the ‘feeder road’ concept. The operation of the road will increase the market access to various products grown in Dolpa district including the valuable herbal medicines. The produce exported from the district will also get decent price.
Although the Army is required to hand over the road to the government after opening its track, the locals have been demanding that the work of expanding the road further and its improvement should be given to the Army itself.
Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Ishwor Pokhrel is scheduled to inaugurate the road at Tripurasundari of Dolpa on November 20, chief of the road construction project task force, Lieutenant Colonel Bishwa Bandhu Pahadi, said.
The road along the bank of the Bheri River passes through Rimna, Manamaitahara, Tallo Bazaar, Gotamkot, Ghadthala, tribeni, Khadang, Sribinde Basti and Bazar negotiating steep cliff and rock faces.
The Army has constructed 1,114 kilometres roads before this and handed it over to the government. The Nepalese Army was involved in the construction of roads with the construction of the Kanti Highway that connects Kathmandu and Hetauda in 2016 BS. It has so far constructed 20 different roads of strategic importance and also handed over to the government.
Among the roads constructed by the Nepalese Army include the 28 kilometres long Hile-Leguwaghat road, the 88-kilometre Katari Okhaldhunga road, the 65-kilometre Kanti Highway, the 105-kilometre Trishuli-Somdang road and the 36-kilomtre Gorkha-Manakamana road.
The other roads constructed by the Army are the 45-kilometre Gorkha-Arughat-Arkhet road, the 26.50 kilometres Drabya Shah Marga, the 20-kilometre Satdobato- Nimel-baluwa road, the 65-kilometre Besisahar-Chame road, the 75-kilometre Baglung-Beni-Jomsom road, the nine-kilometre Jomsom-Kagbeni road, the 44-kilometre Salyan-Musikot road, the 35-kilometres Musikot-Burtibang road, the 42-kilometre Devisthan-Kaindanda-Chaurjahari road.
Similarly, the Army had opened the track of the 45-kilometre Chhinchu-Jajarkot road, 88-kilometres Karnali highway, 94-kilometres Nagma-Gamgadhi road, the 18-kilometre Mailung-Sryafrubesi road and the 90-kilomtre Kathmandu-Tarai Fast track.
Among other big road projects being constructed by the Army at present include the 120 kilomtres long Benighat-Arughat-Larke Bhanjyang road, the 76-kilometre Kaligandaki Corridor and 145-kilometre Karnali Corridor.
The construction of the Jajarkot-Dolpa road adds 103 kilometres to the overall length of the roads constructed by the Army so far. RSS