Slow progress in Dharan-Itahari road construction
Stretching approximately 15 kilometers from Seuti in Dharan to Tarahara, Panipiya in Itahari, the road has faced delays and disruptions due to ongoing construction issues.
KATHMANDU: Construction of the Seuti-Panipia road section of the Dharan-Itahari road, part of the Koshi highway’s Rani-Biratnagar-Itahari-Dharan project, is progressing slowly, causing inconvenience to commuters due to delays in road construction.
Stretching approximately 15 kilometers from Seuti in Dharan to Tarahara, Panipiya in Itahari, the road has faced delays and disruptions due to ongoing construction issues.
According to data from the Sunsari District Traffic Police Office, during the fiscal year 2078/79, 53 accidents occurred on this road section, resulting in the loss of six lives and injuries to 88 individuals.
Similarly, in the fiscal year 2079/80, 23 accidents claimed the lives of three individuals, with 43 sustaining injuries.
So far in the current fiscal year 2080/81, one person has died and 10 people have been injured in six accidents.
The road construction contract was awarded to Himalaya Thokar and Pacific. Despite expectations of completion within three years, only half of the work has been accomplished thus far.
The sluggish progress has been attributed to delays on the part of the contractor, hindering the pace of construction activities.
Engineer Ashmita Subedi, overseeing the project, highlighted that work is currently underway on the westward lanes of the four-lane road.
She emphasized the need to expedite the construction process through effective coordination with the contractors.
Additionally, Suvedi mentioned plans to extend the project deadline and streamline administrative procedures once the current contract expires.
