Lack of road maintenance puts commuters’ life at risk

By Bashudev Sharma,Jajarkot, June 2: Travelling on rural roads in Jajarkot district has become increasingly hazardous due to the negligence of local authorities regarding road maintenance. Roads built to connect the seven local levels to remote villages have been left unrepaired, compelling the public to travel under hazardous conditions.

Rural roads in Barekot Rural Municipality, Junichande Rural Municipality, Nalgad Municipality, Chedagad Municipality, Shivalaya Rural Municipality and Kushe Rural Municipality have been operational without proper maintenance. Last year’s monsoon caused significant damage to these roads, yet they remain unrepaired. Locals say elected representatives have shown little concern, and relevant authorities have not taken the initiative to repair them.

According to Gopal Giri of Junichande-5, rural roads remain treacherous, with no maintenance and poor travel conditions. The lack of budget allocation by local governments has worsened the issue. Vehicles operating from Junichande through Chedagad to Nepalgunj, Surkhet, and Chhinchu often carry passengers beyond capacity.

Laxmi Rokaya of Kushe Rural Municipality-8 stated that the roads damaged last year remain unrepaired, and transport operators continue overloading vehicles, being indifferent to the consequences. Despite repeated calls to action, responsible bodies have remained silent.

Transport operators in Junichande, Kushe, Barekot, and Nalgad often bypass safety protocols, operating vehicles beyond capacity on treacherous roads while charging high fares. Locals fear a rising risk of accidents if the government continues to overlook road safety.

Chedagad Municipality Mayor Ratna Bahadur Khadka explained that due to limited internal resources, it is difficult to maintain all rural roads. He added that reliance on federal funding for even small projects has slowed the progress. According to him, roads are being repaired in phases based on priority.