Kaligandaki Corridor becomes boon for locals

By Tilachan Pandey,Tamghas, Mar. 15: Shobhakhar Neupane (Baburam) of Arbeni, Kaligandaki Rural Municipality-2, had been operating a hotel in Kathmandu for over a decade. 

After the Kaligandaki Corridor was opened, he decided to return to his village and opened a hotel there. 

He purchased land adjacent to the corridor and invested over Rs. 20 million to set up the well-furnished Panchase Hotel and Lodge.

His hotel and lodge have now become popular among both domestic and international tourists. Travellers heading to Pokhara, Baglung, Kusma, Muktinath and the Korala border crossing in China using the corridor route tend to dine at Panchase hotel, if they do not spend a night there, 

He said that he prepares dishes to suit tourists' preferences by focusing on local chicken, fish and traditional dishes.

With the corridor now open, his business is flourishing. He expressed confidence that his business would further grow as the road was being blacktopped.  

Similarly, Chaturbhuj Pandey, who runs Om Shilaji Garage in ward-1, Harmichaur, said that the situation of the area has changed since the opening of the corridor. 

Bishnu Pandey from Harmichaur, Kaligandaki Rural Municipality-1, said that the corridor has significantly improved accessibility. 

He operates a tea and snack shop alongside a commercial dairy farm, selling approximately 30 litres of milk daily. 

The remaining 50 litres are transported to Mirmi in Syangja for sale, he said, adding that he delivers milk via motorcycle every day, which has been made possible by the Kaligandaki Corridor.

Similarly, Laxmipati Neupane, a farmer from Arbeni, Kaligandaki-2, informed that the corridor has solved the problem of finding a market for locally produced items like kiwi, oranges and fresh vegetables. 

While some products are sold locally, the remaining agricultural goods can now be easily transported to Butwal.

Nepali Army opened the road track some four years ago and now the road is being blacktopped. 

Engineer Arun Khatri, the information officer of the Kaligandaki Corridor Gaidakot-Ramdi-Maldhunga Road Planning Office, said that the 21-kilometre Ridi-Harmichaur road section has already been blacktopped, but the handover process is still pending.

Khatri said that the work was undertaken by Sharma Sagun JV, following an agreement signed on August 30, 2020, at a cost of Rs 623,600,000 and was completed in August 2024.

Additionally, Kalika Construction has completed the blacktopping and upgrading of the 45-kilometre Harmichaur-Balewa road section. 

Khatri informed that over 70 per cent of the project has been completed, and the blacktopping will be finished within the current fiscal year. 

An agreement between the office and the construction company was signed on December 12, 2022, with a completion deadline of December 11, 2025. As per the agreement, the construction cost would be Rs.3.32 billion.