DHANGADHI, Jan 2: The work at under-construction six lane road section of Dhangadi Mohana Bridge-Attariya has remained frustratingly slow so far. The construction project was started eight months ago, with a target to be completed within two years. However, only six percent of work has been completed in eight months. 

One of the reasons for the slow pace of construction is the government’s failure to shift electricity and telephone poles that fall on the way. Since the road area has not been cleared yet, contractors are limiting their work to 32.3 meters of the width of the road, while the road is supposed to be 50 meters wide.

Roshan Bhatta of Lumbini-Rajendra-Danfe JV, which got the contract of one section of the road, said that they have been facing difficulty in work as the road area has not been cleared yet. 

The 14.2-kilometer-long road from Dhangadhi Mohana Bridge to Attariya Chowk has been divided into three sections for construction. The project office has already published three notices to remove physical infrastructure coming along the road section, however the locals have not agreed to remove them. 

Locals who have built houses along the road are not willing to dismantle the houses. Though the government had set the width of the road at 50 meters back in 1977, the municipality has been allowing the locals to build houses leaving only 45 meters for the road. 

However, the project has started to remove infrastructure coming on the way, following the rules set by the government in 1977. 

“Currently we have proceeded to remove all temporary and permanent infrastructures that come within the 50-meter width of the road,” Prabin Chaudhary, chief engineer of the project, said. He said that they had only completed six percent of the work for road construction. 

The six lane road is being constructed with an investment of Rs 1.68 billion. Footpaths will be constructed at both side of the road. From the center point of the road, electricity poles will be installed 24 meters away along both sides, while telephone poles will be installed 25 meters away from the center point. 

The locals have said that the contractors are constructing drainages with low-standard materials. Contractors are using lower category bricks on drainages, said Dipak Saud, a local. “They are using substandard bricks for drainage in front of my house,” he said. However engineer Chaudhary said that they have directed contractors to remove low-quality materials.

 
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