KATHMANDU, March 28: The Nagdhunga tunnel project, currently under construction, is facing another year of delay before becoming operational. The project, initially delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and continuous local disruptions, is now expected to take an additional year.
As per project updates, only nine meters of the main tunnel, with a total length of 2,688 meters, remain to be excavated. Govind Damaru, Senior Divisional Engineer of the project, informed Republica that 2,679 meters of tunnels have been excavated thus far.
He said that the goal is to 'break through' the tunnel by digging the remaining nine meters within Baisakh (Mid-April to mid-May) 2081 BS. “Now nine meters are left to be dug towards the main tunnel. We have set a goal to break through the main tunnel by Baisakh,” he said. “The project was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and the continuous obstructions posed by the local people,” he added.
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He said that even after digging the main tunnel, it will take one year to complete the final phase of the project. "Though the work of digging the tunnel has been completed, the tasks of lining, connecting the equipment and finishing the project are still left. It will take one more year to proceed with vehicular movement after the completion of those works," he said. Earlier, on August 6, 2023, the project's emergency (rescue) tunnel underwent a breakthrough.
On February 18, the locals of Dhading obstructed the project by demanding compensation, water supply, and irrigation. After a month-long interruption, the construction work of the project started again on March 21.
After the newly appointed Physical Infrastructure and Transport Minister Raghubir Mahaseth promised to address the demands of the locals, the construction of the tunnel resumed.
The project, aimed to be completed within 42 months, is being undertaken by the Japanese contractor Hazama Ando JV. The construction started on November 17, 2019.
