About 90% of rural roads not in use in Kalikot

By Premraj Simkhada,Kalikot, July 25: In Kalikot, nearly 90 per cent of the rural roads, which were considered crucial development priorities by local governments, are currently inoperative, raising concerns about wasted investments and lack of proper planning.

Almost all the local units of the district have prioritized road construction as part of their special development initiatives, while road widening was listed as their foremost priority in the policies and programmes. 

The investment made by the local government in road construction for rural villages has, unfortunately, shown significant waste, with approximately 90 per cent of these roads being rendered unusable.

Locals are alleging that the local representatives have merely opened tracks of rural roads for the sake of showcasing development, without ensuring proper functionality or long-term sustainability. 

Most of the roads were constructed by using excavators that completely ignored the possible impact on the environment. The roads are constructed but they are not repaired or maintained on a regular basis, locals claimed. 

Gokarna Sanjyal, a resident of Rashkot Municipality-4, said the rural roads had become non-functional mainly in absence of regular maintenance and upgrades since their initial construction.

The elected representatives have prioritized the task of opening tracks and widening rural roads using excavators, giving the impression that they were fulfilling the voters' demands and implementing their policies and programmes. However, regrettably, a significant stretch of the expanded roads remains unused.

The locals of Raskot have been severely affected as the road leading to the community hospital in Raskot has not been repaired.

The road section has not received any maintenance since the second local level election in May 2022, despite being initially opened by the outgoing local representatives.

Residents are expressing their discontent, pointing out that while roads in other areas have been repaired, the municipality has shown no interest in fixing the road that led to the community hospital.

This neglect has resulted in inconvenience and hardship for the people relying on the hospital and accessing essential services, said Pankha Bahadur Phadera of Rashkot-3.

Phadera, the ambulance driver working for the municipality, expressed his frustration about the lack of road maintenance, which compelled him to transport patients to and from the hospital using a 'doko,' a bamboo basket. 

He revealed that locals often directed their anger at him for the difficult transportation situation. In an attempt to draw the local government's attention to the road's neglected condition, Phadera posted a picture on social media depicting him carrying a patient in the 'doko.'

Meanwhile, Tilagufa Municipality is making advancements in maintaining rural road infrastructure. The maintenance work on the main road of wards 9, 10, and 11 is currently underway.

According to Mahendra Bahadur Shahi, deputy-mayor of the municipality and coordinator of the planning and monitoring committee, road maintenance has been a top priority of the municipality since October 2022-23.

Their approach involves ensuring road access to all villages in the initial phase and then gradually progressing with the maintenance work, he added. 

Shahi, who reached Chilkhaya to monitor the upgrading of Bhasigouda-Rudubanchu road-section, said that if the weather permits, many roads in the municipality will be repaired and put into operation this year.

The municipality has initiated the construction of drains along rural roads, as well as the graveling and installation of pipes in road sections prone to water accumulation and muddy. 

The municipality has been upgrading the road connecting ward 4 to 3 and Bajari road connecting Nagma to the office of ward 1. The municipality has also constructed drains along Bhaisigouda-Rudubanchu road-section and gravelling where necessary. 

However, other local bodies of the district have not paid attention to the roads connecting other villages except the main road connecting their municipality office.

Due to the local bodies' negligence in upgrading branch roads, around 90 per cent of the rural roads in the district remain unused.

Similarly, haphazard construction of roads puts villages at high risk of water-induced disasters. 

The construction of roads without proper surveys has been the leading cause of landslides in several places of the hills. As a consequence, landslides have encroached on farmers' fields, while rivers are being reduced to streams.

Failure to improve the maintenance of rural roads by the local government in a timely manner is likely to result in significant damage due to landslides and erosion.

The District Disaster Management Committee has advised local bodies to undertake repairs on the road tracks. 

Chief District Officer Jorashi Majhi, who also serves as the coordinator of the committee, said that special attention was given to rural roads during the recent meeting.