May 25 : The Jorpati-Sundarijal road expansion project has again come to a halt with the detection of a case of COVID-19 at Gokarneshwor municipality-4 in the capital. The project’s construction works were earlier affected for one month following the imposition of the ongoing national lockdown on March 24 to stem the COVID-19 pandemic.
This time, such works have hit a snag when the 58-year-old local of the municipality tested positive for coronavirus on May 19. However, only one task of building walls at some portions of Ward No. 1 of the municipality as part of expanding the Jorpati-Sundarijal road section continues to take place. This seven-kilometer road section is being widened up to 11 meters on both sides from the center.
The project had to be completed in the last fiscal year itself, but it was delayed due to the protests launched by the the locals demanding compensation for their houses demolished for road expansion.
Later, the agreement was reached with the protesting locals with the setting of the new deadline-the current fiscal year of 2019/20- to accomplish the road expansion. Nevertheless, the very deadline is unlikely to be met again, to say the least. Important structures such as electric poles and wires are yet to be cleared off in many points of the road section.
In fact, the persistent delay in expanding this section have caused immense difficulties for those travelling through it.
Shyam Tamang, a local, complained,” The road is fraught with big holes, debris and constructional materials in a so disorderly way that it is a hellish experience to pass through it.”
