Myagdi. The third (Ranwang-Darwang) section of the strategically important Beni-Darbang road project in the district has begun to be blacktopped. The blacktopping work has begun from Kharekhola in Ranwang towards Darbang since Thursday. Bishnu Prasad Poudel, head of the Infrastructure Development Office, said that in the first phase, four kilometers of road are going to be blacktopped through Khaharakhola, Ranwang, Sahasradhara, Dukhukhola, Ratodhunga to Tolawang.
‘A one-sided prime coat (bitumen) has been laid in the areas where the work of widening, constructing drains, retaining walls, and laying the base and subbase has been completed, and ‘first coat’ (bitumen and chips) has been started,’ he said. ‘Preparations are being made to blacktop the road after the infrastructure construction work in Tolawang, Dhadkharka, and Darbang Bazaar, except Bangephiro, is completed.’ The road construction work, which was contracted five years ago with a target of completing it in two years through the Infrastructure Development Office in Myagdi under the ‘One Constituency, One Road’ program of Gandaki Province, had been stalled. .
A contract agreement was signed between Biruba-Caravan JV and the Infrastructure Development Office on 31st Jestha 2076 BS for blacktopping of an eight-kilometer road from Ranwang of Mangala Rural Municipality-2 to Darbang, the center of Malika. 225.7932 crores.
The office has stated that the physical progress of the project, which was to be completed in Jestha 2078 BS, is 80 percent. Devraj Raut, a technician of the construction company, said that equipment and laborers have been mobilized with the goal of completing the blacktopping within the current fiscal year. The delay was due to insufficient budget allocation, shortage of river-based construction materials, disasters and the Corona pandemic, said Chandra Thakali, the operator of the construction company.
This year, the project, which had a budget of 50 million, has been allocated 15 million. The delay in the construction of the Beni-Darwang road, which is considered the lifeline of Myagdi, has caused hardship to travelers, increased the risk of accidents and made it difficult to operate transport.
Dhan Bahadur Khati Chhetri, ward chairman of Mangala Rural Municipality-2, said that he was excited after the road started being blacktopped. He said that monitoring was being done to ensure the quality of the work as well as facilitation and coordination to solve social problems. The Bangepahiro area in that section is landslide-prone and risky. The landslide-affected area has been removed from the contract. Preparations have been made for blacktopping in areas other than the areas where there is no land dispute within Malika’s center, Darwang Bazaar.
This 24-kilometer road connecting Mangala, Malika and Dhawalagiri rural municipalities with the district headquarters, Beni, was opened in 2063 BS. It is considered to be of strategic importance as it is an alternative to the Baglung section of the Mid-Hill Highway, which is also used by the residents of Tamankhola rural municipality in Baglung.
12.5 kilometers from Beni to Sim were blacktopped three years ago. The work on the four-kilometer road of the Sim-Panabagar section was completed last Jestha. Resham Jugjali, a member of the Gandaki Provincial Assembly elected from Myagdi Constituency No. 1 (2), said that a plan is underway to upgrade the road connecting Darwang to Muna, the center of Dhawalagiri Rural Municipality, with blacktop, and that an additional budget of Rs. 1 billion is in the process of being implemented.
‘Work is underway to blacktop and gravel four kilometers of the Dharapani-Takam-Shiwang section.’ He said, ‘Preparations have been made to call for contracts for a project with a budget of Rs. 1 billion in partnership with the federal and provincial governments to blacktop seven kilometers of the Darwang-Dharapani section, which was graveled last year, and the road from Shivang to Muna. Jugjali, who is also the former Minister of Physical Infrastructure Development and Transport Management of Gandaki Province, said that he has taken the initiative to arrange additional budget and transfer funds to the Chief Minister and departmental ministers due to a lack of budget for ongoing and near-completed projects.
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