Singati locals feel sigh of relief after removal of scary boulder

By Our Correspondent, Charikot, Sept. 16: Residents of Singati Bazaar in Bigu Rural Municipality-4, in the northern part of Dolakha district, have breathed a sigh of relief after the successful management of Taptape Boulder, located above their settlement. 

The risky boulder was removed following an instruction from the Prime Minister. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, on September 3, while inaugurating the extended service of Hello Sarkar, responded to a call from a Dolakha local regarding the boulder, which could be removed only by blasting. 

After listening to the complaint, PM Prachanda immediately instructed Defence Secretary Kiran Raj Paudel to address the problem. 

Twelve days after the instruction, the boulder was finally removed by a team of the Nepali Army by blasting it 13 times.  

The blasting work was led by Major Prabhat Singh, an engineer at Kali Siddhi Battalion, in coordination with Major Gajendra Dahit of Taradal Battalion.  

The boulder was at the Maithan Community Forest area above the Singati Kholikhim Bazaar. 

According to the Taradal Battalion in Dolakha, the boulder has been reduced to small rocks and the works to remove them are left.  

According to a report prepared by the Nepali Army, 78 houses in Kholikhim Bazaar were at risk as the boulder was gradually slipping towards the settlement due to soil erosion in the slope. 

If a landslide occurred at the slope, about 20 houses in Singati, 350 meters below the boulder, could be crushed. Worse, it could put 78 houses at risk if it fell into the river below. 

Due to the increasing fear, 32 families of Kholikhim were relocated to safer places with the support of the Bigu Rural Municipality. 

According to Sanjeev Oli, chairman of the rural municipality, the fear among residents has significantly reduced with the blasting of the dangerous boulder. 

He mentioned that they planned to clean up the debris and repair the road by constructing a wall to reduce the risk of erosion. 

The rural municipality will soon begin work to repair the road and prevent landslides to ensure safety of the Kholikhim market, Oli said, adding that they would plant trees and build walls even in the flooded areas.

 “We need around Rs. 4 million to manage these works,” he added.