Four days to go, East-West Highway upgrading witnesses 18.5 % progress

Kathmandu, July 27

Overall progress of upgrading work of the Narayanghat-Butwal section in the East-West Highway has been just 18.44 per cent just four days before the deadline of the project expires.  

The strategic road is the major trade route of the country and the only highway to connect the ends at the eastern and western border.

The upgrading of the Narayanghat-Butwal section of the road is divided into two packages – Narayanghat to Daunne 64.42 km and Daunne to Butwal 48.53 km. Both the packages of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded project are carried out by China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited.

The road upgrading work began on 7 February 2019 with the deadline of 1 August 2022. The highway will be developed into four lanes and service lanes in the urban areas, four lanes without service lanes in rural areas and three lanes in Daunne hill area.

But the status of the road is pathetic and commuting along it has long been a nightmare. It takes four to five hours to complete 120km travel on the section of the highway that is being upgraded. Bhoj Raj Poudel of Patihani in Narayanghat expressed his disappointment after travelling for more than five-hour to reach Butwal from his home this week.

The road turns dusty during sunny days and muddy in rainy days which has not only impacted the quality travel of the people but also created negative impacts on the local people.

Various observations and monitoring, including by the Development and Technology Committee (DTC) of the House of Representatives, have concluded that the road has become a 'curse' for the local people and the travelers. The drainages along the road are damaged which has caused inundations in the nearby settlements while the water supply pipelines have been damaged at multiple locations, a report of the DTC last year had concluded.

Meanwhile, a meeting of the DTC on Wednesday expressed deep concerns to the poor progress of the road and directed the government to initiate a process to review the entire project and complete the remaining job within the given deadline.

After a discussion with the Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Mohammad Ishtiyaq Rayi, ministry's secretary, chief of Narayanghat-Butwal Road Project and other concerned officials, the House Panel said that a situation has arisen where the contract would be cancelled due to poor and disappointing progress of the project.

It has clearly directed the government, the Infrastructure Ministry and Prime Minister's Office to make decision to complete the project in time without cost overrun.

Meanwhile, the DTC directed the government to review the terms and conditions of the road projects being constructed or upgraded with the loan and grant support from various friendly countries since such projects are lagging in quality and time.

Likewise, it asked the Infrastructure Ministry to immediately formulate policy standards to construct the access roads as the current practice of developing such facility has inflicted a serious damage to the national highways across the country. 

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 28 July 2022.