By Madhusudhan Timalsina
Kavre, July 25: Crushers are making the BP Highway unsafe, complained locals.
The risk is particularly high in Kavrepalanchowk’s Namobuddha Municipality and Roshi Gaunpalika where the crusher industries are operated right above the road.
These industries cause rocks to fall down onto the road. They also release dust which, when it rains, turns to mud. This makes the highway unsafe to drive on, said DB Lama, chairman of Roshi Gaunpalika.
Manakamana Crusher Industry operating in Namobuddha Municipality and Nangsal Crusher Industry and Pashupati Crusher Industry operating in Roshi Gaunpalika threaten the highway which spans from Dhulikhel to Bardibas through Nepalthok and Sindhuli.
“We have repeatedly requested the agencies to protect the highway and the Roshi River but no action has been taken,” he said. A dry landslide fell last winter which even required the highway to be diverted.
The authorities have allegedly remained silent because the crusher operators have political connections, complained the locals.
However, Wangchu Lama, operator of Nangsal Crusher Industry, said that the crushers were not hampering the highway. “There might be some shortcomings on our part too, but the entire problem of highway blockages cannot be blamed on us,” he said, adding, “The haphazard construction of roads by the local level is also at fault.”
Meanwhile, the highway gets blocked from time to time and the locals, police and Roshi Gaunpalika officials open it every time.