When will Narayanghat-Butwal road complete?

By Bom Lal Giri,Nawalpur, Nov. 3: When the ground was broken on the Narayanghat-Butwal Road in March 2019, the contractor was expected to finish the widening of the road in three years and then bear responsibility for repairs for the next five years. But, it has been four years and progress is only at around 41 per cent.

Following two extensions to the deadlines, the contractor, China State Construction Engineering Corporation, has been given till mid-August 2024 to complete the work. But it is adamant that it cannot meet this target. 

In fact, the Corporation expects to be done with 95 per cent of the work by March 2025 and has prepared a work execution plan for the next 19 months, despite having only nine months remaining in its contract.

Contractor's plan

Nepal's authorities have asked the contracting company to finish expanding the road within the deadline fixed after the second extension. But it has outright rejected this date and appears to have given itself an additional one and a half years to work.

According to Rakesh Jha, project manager for China State Construction Engineering, the company had targeted to complete 1.1 per cent of the work in September this year. But it was only able to carry out 1.08 per cent. In October, it was supposed to finish 1.5 per cent of the work but it was only able to do 0.5 per cent. As per the Corporation's work plan, it hopes to finish 2.5 per cent of work in November this year, three per cent in December, 36.3 per cent in 2024 and 10.2 per cent in the first three months of 2025. This way, it plans to achieve 95 per cent progress by March of 2025.

Excuses unacceptable: Project office

Meanwhile, the government has warned the contractor to not miss the latest deadline. Ashish Thapa, head of project for the Narayanghat-Butwal Road Eastern Section, stressed that not meeting the deadline was not an option for China State Construction Engineering. 

"The contract does not allow them to plan beyond mid-August 2024," Thapa told The Rising Nepal. "We have been telling them to finish work within the set time in all our discussions. They may have to use more resources or make the best use of given time. That is for them to do. But they have to meet the deadline. Excuses are not acceptable," he made clear. Thapa urged the contractor to plan its work based on the time remaining in the contract. "Let your calculations be based on what the contract states," he said, adding that no one had the luxury to get out of their obligations.

Thapa said that all the problems the contractor had been previously highlighting regarding the moving of electric poles, felling of trees, drinking water pipes, and sand and gravel had been solved. "Increase your internal capacity, make optimum use of your resources, eliminate weaknesses and improve management," he instructed.

Extension imperative: Contractor

Omitting two months of monsoon, the contractor told The Rising Nepal that it had seven months to work and completing the remaining tasks within this time was impossible. "During the second extension of the deadline, we had asked the authorities to give us 24 months to work. But they did not," Jha complained. "We will finish 95 per cent of the work by March 2025 and then complete the remaining five per cent in the additional time we have been given for repairs," he said. 

Why the delays?

According to Chinese contractor Yohang Zhenkhun, the main problem is that the contracting Corporation has not been able to cut power as required. "We have to cut power many times for our work and we have received permission from the Nepal Electricity Authority. However, the locals sometimes create problems in this," he said.

Other than that, Yohang said that there was no problem and that they had been receiving great support from the local level and government authorities.

But while the Chinese contractor claims it faces no problem except when cutting power, it seems to be risking the road project's future by allegedly not paying the crusher factories it has purchased materials from. 

The lack of payment to crusher factories also risks halting the work. Chief District Officer of Nawalpur district Kalpana Shrestha informed that crusher factories had approached her multiple times, asking her to make the Chinese contractor clear their dues. 

"It looks as if a large amount remains to be paid. The crusher businesses say they will stop work if they do not get paid," she said. "Let this not stop work on the road."

Shrestha also clarified that the contractor was not allowed to interrupt the supply of electricity during office hours but was allowed to cut power as needed at other times. She said that she had given the necessary instructions to the Electricity Authority for the same.

Progress so far

Of the 65 kilometres of road the contractor is working on, 17 kilometres that pass through the market area need to be widened to six lanes and the rest need to be made four lanes. According to China State Construction Engineering, it has finished 50 per cent of the work on the subgrade. Similarly, it has laid subbase in 29.88 kilometres of the road, completed the base for 22 kilometres, and blacktopped 16.6 kilometres.

Of the 12 bridges the contracting company is required to construct, 11 are currently under construction and will be completed in a few months, Jha informed.