Martadi-Kolti road repair begins after four months of blockage

By Sher Bahadur Sarki,Bajura, Sept. 23: Repair work has finally started on the Martadi-Kolti road in Bajura, which had been blocked for the past four months.

The Infrastructure Development Office in Achham, in coordination with local municipalities, has begun work to reopen the road before Dashain.

The road closure had caused hardship for residents of Himali, Swamikartik Khapar, Jagannath and Budhinanda municipalities in the north-eastern part of the district, who had struggled to travel to and from Martadi from May/June to September/October.

Most farmers in Budhinanda Municipality grow fruits and vegetables, which they sell each year to manage household expenses during Dashain. But with the Martadi-Kolti road still blocked, they had been worried about how to take their produce to market. Now, with repair work finally underway, locals are hopeful they will be able to sell their vegetables in time.

According to Jangbir Rokaya, Spokesperson at the Budhinanda Municipality, repair work began on September 19, 2025, with the help of a municipal bulldozer under the coordination of the Infrastructure Development Office. “We usually charge Rs. 7,500 per hour for the bulldozer. But the office has agreed to pay only Rs. 4,700, which barely covers fuel costs,” he said. 

Rokaya added that since both the government and local authorities share responsibility, the repair work is being carried out in cooperation with the Infrastructure Development Office.

Jang Bahadur Thapa of the Achham office said work had been delayed due to continuous rainfall, but with the weather now clear, repairs have started.

“We do not have our own bulldozer, so we signed an agreement to hire one from Budhinanda Municipality,” he said. The municipality had asked for Rs. 7,500 per hour, but the office agreed to pay Rs. 4,741.93 per hour, in line with the government’s standard rate, he added.

The Martadi-Kolti road is about 42 km long, with 14 km in Badimalika Municipality and the remaining 28 km in Budhinanda. Monsoon rains had washed away much of the road, leaving vehicles stranded in Martadi for the past four months.

A landslide in the second week of June had blocked the road, and repair was not possible due to ongoing rain. Now, with efforts from Budhinanda, Badimalika and the Infrastructure Development Office in Achham, the road is being repaired with the goal of reopening before Dashain, according to Ganesh Prasad Paudel, Chief District Officer of Bajura.