Much-awaited Nepalgunj-Baghauda postal road construction almost complete

Ranjha / June 8 : The much-awaited Nepalgunj-Baghauda road construction has almost complete following a hiatus of 23 years. The construction 44-km road linking Raptisonari and Narainapur rural municipality across the Rapti River in Baghauda area with district headquarters Nepalgunj has come to a complete shape amidst frequent obstructions and uncertainties.

Except a bridge under construction at the Raptipur River bank and Fattepur, the blacktopping of road stretching from Nepalgunj Bus Park to Suiya of Katkuiya in the bordering area of Narainapur has also completed. The construction of bridge is also gaining momentum.

The road construction was accomplished due to continuous engagement of workers amidst lockdown enforced to prevent the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic by maintaining physical distancing, shared Tulsiram Bhandari, Managing Director of Ganapati Construction which was awarded the contract for road construction.

Construction’s field manager Indra KC further said an arrangement was made for workers to continue with their engagement in a certain space of physical distancing. “The construction of postal road is continuing keeping into consideration the social security and health of the workers”, he said, adding an arrangement of temporary camp has been put in place by adhering to the lockdown protocol.

The construction of the road has ended the trouble facing by around 100,000 people of the backward area due to mud and dust for nearly decades, said Dinesh Chandra Yadav, a local of Narainapur rural municipality-3 and former member of the Constituent Assembly.

As he said, his dream of linking Baghauda with the road network had got materialized with the completion of postal highway project. The project faced frequent obstructions and difficulties in course of the implementation phase. Efforts are underway to upgrade it, according to Yadav.

It may be noted that the government had decided to continue the construction of projects of national pride even during lockdown against the coronavirus, that’s why the project could take a pace during the difficult time, said Postal Highway Project Office, Nepalgunj information officer Ram Sagar Harijan.

India’ GVR Infra Project Chennai had won the contract of constructing the project initially supported by the Government of India. As per the contract signed on September 20, 2011, it had to be completed by March 19, 2014. The project had remained obstructed for around three years after the contractor left the job unfinished. The company abandoned the project unofficially by completing three percent works.

It was possible to resume the project with the government decision to allocate the budget for it in 2072 BS. The government had decided to complete the project on domestic investment. Lately, Ganapati Construction Company succeeded the Pappu Lumbini JV which was relieved from the responsibility due to delayed work progress. The later had finished the construction of a double-lane blacktopped highway at the cost of Rs 660 million.

Electricity in Narainapur

People’s long anticipation for electricity facility at Narainaur, the remote area of Banke, is likely to be met soon. Now electrification is going on in Narainapur amid the lockdown.

The issue of electricity in Narainapur was the agenda of every election for 22 years. Lately, its need was highly required to operate a COVID-19 isolation facility at Laxmanpur Health Center with the detection of multiple COVID-19 cases at Narainapur. It may be noted that one person here has already lost battle to the disease.

It is said the electrification will likely to be complete here within a week and the Nepal Electricity Authority has owned up its responsibility.

Narainapur lies in some 35 kilometers southeast from the district headquarters Nepalgunj.

Former minister of state Yadav who reached Narainapur to inspect the electrification drive said in the beginning there were preparations to only equip the Laxmanpur Primary Health Center with electricity facility. But later it was agreed to include the entire Naraianpur rural municipality in the electrification following the request for the same with Irrigation, Water Resource and Energy Minister Barshaman Pun and NEA director general.

Rural Municipality chair Istiyak Ahamad Shah said in lack of electricity they are facing difficulties in the management of coronavirus quarantine centers. ”We hope the job would be easier once the village gets connected to electricity. RSS