Rural roads built hastily remain unused

By Our Correspondent Kalikot, June 21: Rural roads in majority of local levels in Kalikot district are not in use. The roads dug using excavators by the local governments as their first priority have now remained unused. The roads built without any technical advice have become unusable after the heavy rain.

With the concept of building a ring road, Narharinath Rural Municipality built a road from Lalighat Bazaar of Ward No. 1 through Kotwada to rural municipality centre. 

The excavator drivers themselves were road technicians while opening the track. Due to the narrowness of the track, it was difficult to drive through. 

After rainfall one cannot differentiate the road from a river as the rain water has washed away the soil on the road.

Bel Prasad Sanjyal, president of the district branch of the Red Cross Society, Kalikot, said that the roads were hastily dug without taking any precaution. According to him, the local levels dug the road with their own excavators, and some of them have hired a dozer driver and been granted complete ownership of the road. 

However, those routes could not be used for more than 15 days. Roads are in a bad condition whether it is dry or wet weather.

At present, only tippers are plying on the road leading to Narharinath Rural Municipality. 

The road leading to Suntharali Airport in Kotwada is being blacktopped. 

Driver Amar Lama said that this is the most dangerous road he has ever seen while driving a tipper for the last 20 years. He has to operate the tipper in the same risky way. 

The branchroads dug by Raskot Municipality in the district are similarly dilapidated. The road leading to Potmara Power House and Chudimul Road on the lower road of Phukot has stopped running. 

Former ward president of Raskot-8, Krishna Raj Dhamala said that he was reprimanded over the hastily constructed road.

"It is not always possible for people to travel by car. "People who travel by vehicles or on foot on that road curse me," Dhamala stated. "Shubhakalika's road above Dautha is fully closed. 

After the water washed away the entire road, Ramesh Sunar, a local, claimed it was tough for the animals to move.  Cattle and pedestrians have no access to the road. Sunar explained that dozer-dug roads are the same everywhere. The road linking Mumra and Mehelmudi in Shannitriveni is in a similar state. 

Parvati Singh Sanjyal, the newly elected vice chair, stated that the work of restoring the crumbling roads would be completed in their turn. The roads would be fixed first, she stated.

Roads were built by entrusting them to the excavator's discretion. Even with modest precipitation, the District Disaster Management Committee perceives the risk of landslides, road fissures, and floods has increased. The roads dug by excavators are the most obstructed.