Nagdhunga-Naubise rescue tunnel construction to mark a ‘breakthrough’ today

KATHMANDU, Aug 7: The Nagdhunga-Naubise tunnel evacuation process is said to complete on Monday. The foundation of the project was laid on October 21, 2019, and the evacuation process will mark a breakthrough today.

As of Sunday afternoon, only one meter of the rescue tunnel remains. Bijay Jaisi, head of the foreign division of the Department of Roads, said that after the Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Prakash Jwala arrives on the construction site for inauguration this afternoon, the ‘breakthrough’ of the rescue tunnel would take place. "The rescue tunnel will break through on the afternoon of August 7," Jaisi said.

Along with the rescue tunnel of the 2.5 km Nagdhunga-Naubise tunnel, the main tunnel work is now only 18 percent left to be completed. The length of the main tunnel of the project is 2,688 meters, and 506 meters of the main tunnel is yet to be dug.

According to the initial contract agreement, this project was supposed to be completed by April 26, 2023. However, the deadline for this project has been extended till April 25, 2024 due to lack of timely work.

According to the project, as of July 24, 2023, the overall physical progress of the project is 56.89 percent and the financial progress is 59.39 percent. So far, only 2,172 meters of the tunnel have been drilled, and another 515 meters of the main tunnel remains to be dug. The project is being carried out by the Japanese company Hazma Ando Corporation.

Due to the obstacles of the contractor and local residents, the completion of the project has been delayed.

A 40-year loan agreement has been signed with the Japanese government at an interest rate of 0.01 percent to build the tunnel. The project is set to be completed with a budget of Rs 22.5 billion where a loan of Rs 16.5 billion has been invested from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and about Rs 6 billion is invested by the Government of Nepal.