CHITWAN, April 20: The concerned consultant companies have ruled out the request to allow blasting rocks on the hillside along the Narayangadh-Muglin road section for the road widening purpose, citing environmental effects. 

The companies responded to the request by the contractor named Supreme Rautaha JV to allow it to explode 100 meters stretch of the hillside, 80 meters in height, in the course of road expansion drive. 

The contractor stated in the request letter that it would require exploding the rock on the hillside as it had become difficult to cut 100 meters of rock face towards Muglin from the 33 kilometres point from Pulchowk, Narayangadh. 

The companies have also asked for alternatives to the explosion. "Although a response letter sent by the companies has sought to explain substantial reasons to resort to the explosion, it means by implication to ask to seek for other alternatives," said the contractor. 

"It is not appropriate to set off an explosion at a place where traffic pressure is high. The explosion may cause the whole hillside to fall, thus setting off landslides in the long run," said team leader of a consultant company BN Singh by phone. The three consultant companies include from Nepal, India and South Korea. 

Meanwhile, although the project should have been completed till now, the project has failed to meet the target for various reasons like the earthquake of April 25, 2015, said the contractor. So far only 45 percent of the road expansion has been completed, they said. RSS 

 
• chitwan
 
• narayangadh-chitwan road section
 
• blasting turned down