Tree-cutting permission delay halts upgradation of Sahajpur-Gharkheda-Nigali road

Dhangadhi: The upgrading work of the Sahajpur-Gharkheda-Nigali road in Chure Rural Municipality of Kailali has been halted due to the lack of permission to cut trees within the forest area.

The suspension of construction work has made the road muddy during the rainy season, causing difficulties for local residents in their daily commute.

According to the Infrastructure Development Office, Kailali, the 14.8-kilometer road from Sahajpur of Chure Rural Municipality-3 to Gharkheda, the rural municipality center, and onward to Nigali, connecting with the Dhangadhi-Dipayal fast track, is being upgraded under the Provincial and Local Road Improvement Program with financial assistance from the World Bank.

Engineer Suryaprakash Joshi of the office said that a contract agreement has been signed with Dhukechu ANK Joshi JV, Mahendranagar, for the road upgrade project at a cost of Rs 363 million 99 thousand.

According to the agreement signed on Baisakh 1, the construction work is targeted to be completed by Jestha 3, 2084.

The project includes blacktopping 6 kilometers from Sahajpur to the rural municipality center at Gharkheda and the remaining 8.8 kilometers from Gharkheda to Nigali.

However, the construction work has failed to gain momentum due to the absence of permission to cut trees in the forest area.

Following the halt in construction, the road condition has worsened during the rainy season. Locals have said that vehicle operation has become difficult, with students, patients, farmers and the general public facing major problems in their daily travel.

Small vehicles are getting stuck on the road, motorcycle travel has become risky, and emergency services have also been affected.

Locals have urged the concerned authorities to complete the necessary procedures related to the forest area as soon as possible and resume construction work. They have expressed concern that delays in resolving the issue could further postpone the development project and force residents to continue suffering for a long time.