Connectivity crisis hits Kanda village

BY SHER BAHADUR SARKI,Bajura, Dec. 20: Residents of Kanda in Khaptad Chhededaha Rural Municipality-1, Bajura, continue to face severe communication problems, as they are still forced to climb high hills to make phone calls due to the lack of a reliable mobile network.

Although 4G services have been expanded to many parts of the district, locals in Kanda said that the absence of a nearby and effective telecom tower had left them without basic phone connectivity. The nearest Nepal Telecom tower is located around 35 kilometres away, but it does not function properly in the area.

Local Purba Bahadur Rawal said the situation had remained unchanged for years. “From the past until now, we have had to go to high hills just to make a phone call,” he said, adding that locals had repeatedly demanded the construction of a telecom tower on the nearby Dhaulchhada hill to improve network access. However, the demand has yet to be addressed.

Ward Chairman Bir Bahadur Rawal said that residents had never been able to make phone calls properly from inside their homes. “While people in other parts of the district enjoy good phone service and even 4G internet, people in Kanda cannot even talk properly on the phone,” he said.

He added that most ward-level administrative work now requires online access, but the lack of network coverage has made service delivery difficult. The problem also affects Jayabageshwori in Ward No. 2, where phone signals are weak and calls frequently disconnect after a few minutes.

Most areas of Kanda rely on a Nepal Telecom tower located in Toli of Triveni Municipality-4. Even then, phone signals are available only on clear days, while connectivity is completely disrupted during rainfall.