Chinese contractor dilly-dallying Kanchanpur-Kamala road upgradation work

Published On: January 18, 2024 06:32 PM NPT By: Himal Lamsal

KATHMANDU, Jan 18: Only 41 percent of the Kanchanpur-Kamala road construction work has been completed in 39 months due to the dilly-dallying of the Chinese contractor company.

If the contractor had worked on time, the Kanchanpur-Kamala road section would have been completed by October 28, 2023. Due to the delay by the Chinese contractor company, the construction work of this road section is still incomplete. The Kanchanpur-Kamala Planning Office launched a plan to upgrade the 86.82 km road to four lanes three years ago.

Under this plan, the plan to construct 54 bridges, eight underpasses, and two flyovers was put forward. The work on this project was scheduled to start on 29 October 2020 and be completed by 28 October 2023. Due to the negligence of the Chinese company, this road upgrading work has been completed only 41.47 percent so far.

Out of the 86.83 kilometers of the Kanchanpur-Kamala road, a 70.33 km section is being upgraded to four lanes by the government, while a 6-6 meter service lane is being extended on both sides with four lanes on the 16.50 km section of the road.

Chudaraj Dhakal, project director of the Directorate of Projects (ADB), said that the road upgrading work of the Kanchanpur-Kamala road section was not done at the expected speed. "Until now, the overall physical progress of this road section has been only 41.47 percent," he said.

According to the project directorate, 54 major bridges and 218 culverts have to be constructed under the project. Among them, 205 culverts have been constructed so far. Similarly, a 27.17 km two-lane base and 74.41 km sub-base have been prepared.

The project directorate also stated that out of 74.96 km of drains, 19.08 km have been constructed so far. Project Director Dhakal said that although the construction work was not done as expected before and nine months after March, things have now started to improve.

He said, "In 25 months before April 2023, it was only 29.38 percent," he said, "Now the progress has reached 41.47 percent." Till April 2023, only 188 culverts were constructed. A 26 km sub-base of two lanes was constructed.

The directorate has built 30 culverts, 48.41 km of subway, 27.17 km of two lane base in the last nine months. Similarly, a 20.12 km binding course of two lanes has been built. During the last nine months, 17.42 km of two-lane asphalt concrete work has also been completed.

China Railway Engineering Two Group Company Limited is currently working on the construction of the eastern and western sections of the Kanchanpur-Kamala road project. The company, which had made physical progress of five percent per month until last December, is again hesitating in the road upgrading work.

The construction cost of this project is Rs 15.67 billion. Eight underpasses are being constructed under this plan. The Directorate has extended the deadline for this road section till December 28, 2024.