Local levels in Chitwan team up to build ring road

BY OUR CORRESPONDENT,Chitwan, Oct. 10: The local governments have united for the construction of a ring road connecting five municipalities in Chitwan. During a municipal coordination meeting organised by Kalika Municipality on Tuesday, consensus was reached to build the ring road, which will connect all five local governments, including Bharatpur Metropolitan City.

The Uttarakhand road has already been constructed and is operational from Bishal Chowk in Bharatpur through Kalika, Ratnanagar and Khairahani, and up to the Lothar Bridge of Rapti Municipality. There are plans to upgrade this road into the proposed ring road.  Additionally, there is a plan to build a road from Lothar in Rapti, connecting with Chitwan National Park, passing through the Rapti, Khairahani, Sauraha and exiting at Devnagar in Bharatpur. 

Prakash Candra Paudel, information officer at the Kalika Municipality, said that though parts of this section had been already constructed, it had been agreed to upgrade the road to ring road standards. 

The meeting also decided to request additional funding for the development of roads connecting Devnagar to Narayangadh via Meghauli, Gunjanagar and Gyaneshwar. Information officer Paudel said that the decision was made to seek funding from the federal and provincial governments to meet the standards required for the ring road and that any shortfall in budget would be covered by the municipalities themselves.

Bharatpur Metropolitan City Mayor Renu Dahal informed that preparations for the ring road in Bharatpur had reached their final stages.

Kalika Municipality Mayor Binod Regmi said that the construction of the ring road connecting all five municipalities would significantly boost the local economy. He said that as the main market areas and dense settlements of the district lie within these five municipalities, the ring road was essential for the district. It is also expected to play a vital role in the development of the district's tourism sector.

Chitwan District Coordination Committee Chief Narayan Prasad Adhikari, Ratnanagar Municipality Mayor Pralhad Sapkota, Rapti Municipality Mayor Shamsher Lama, Madi Municipality Mayor Tara Kumari Kaji Mahato and representatives from Khairahani Municipality were present at the meeting.