Ring road expansion delays cause hardships (photo story)
Although preliminary work, such as cutting trees in the road's path, had started, the actual road expansion was unable to commence.
KATHMANDU: The plan to expand the Kalanki-Basundhara section of the Ring Road has been delayed for a long time.
Although preliminary work, such as cutting trees in the road’s path, had started, the actual road expansion was unable to commence.
However, following a recent agreement between the representatives of the Nepal and China governments on Aug 22 (Bhadra 6), the construction process for the second phase has finally begun.
The expansion of the 8.2-kilometer second section was supposed to start in 2018, but both the Nepal and Chinese governments caused delays, which hindered the progress of the project.
The first section of the road, from Koteshwor to Kalanki, was initiated in 2012 and completed in 2018.
The second phase was supposed to follow immediately after the completion of the first, but various reasons have stalled its commencement until now.
Although a government-to-government (G2G) agreement with China was signed in 2018 for this road section, the Chinese side insisted that they would not proceed until all preparatory work had been completed.
In the meantime, events such as the COVID-19 pandemic further delayed progress. Nepal had started preliminary work, including cutting down trees, as early as 2018, but disagreements between the two countries led to prolonged delays, causing citizens to suffer in the process, which continues to this day.
Due to the slow progress in the road expansion, the area is still plagued with dust, mud, and potholes. Piles of sand and gravel can be seen scattered around, leading to disorganized surroundings.
Not only has this situation disrupted local businesses, but some have been forced to shut down, as local business owners have expressed.
During this period, local residents and concerned representatives have staged protests, demanding an acceleration in the road expansion work.
