Twenty-three years on, locals in Ilam still awaiting road completion

JHAPA, Aug 1: Last year Shiva Chamling of Mahamai-8 dreamed of a motorable road in his village as Chairman of Constituent Assembly Subash Chandra Nemwang had come to inaugurate the construction work. But the dream is no longer plausible. [break]



Construction of the Gaide-Mahamai road that aims to connect 15 VDCs in the remote south of Ilam district started 23 years ago. After a 26-kilometer segment from Domukha, which borders Jhapa, to Kaparsukka was built, locals felt inspired to expedite the work and so invited the CA Chairman for the inauguration. The spectacle of 26 government vehicles together using the road during the ceremony furthered encouraged the dream.



The road, however, has not been overhauled since. Passers-by have stopped using it. One of them died last month after falling off a precipice at one point. The rainy season is an additional woe.

 





Chandra Niraula, member of a local community forest users´ committee, blames the government for the state of the road. "The CA chairman assured us it would be placed in the red book of the National Planning Commission," said Niraula, disappointed. "Neither the money came, nor did the chairman himself again."



Twenty-four community forest users´ committees have already spent Rs 16.5 million on the road. Locals contributed voluntary labor for two weeks.



The road, deemed an alternative highway for Mechi zone, aims to develop a linkage from the lowlands of Jhapa to the hills of Panchthar. The existing Damak-Ravi and Charali-Taplejung roads do not touch southern Ilam and Panchthar.

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