Nawalparasi. The Daunne section of the Butwal-Narayangadh road has been blocked 63 times in a year. The Daunne area under Binayi Triveni Rural Municipality-2 of Nawalparasi (Bardaghat Sustapur) has been blocked 63 times from 1st July 2081 to 32nd Asad 2082.
According to Janak Banjara, Chief of the District Traffic Police Office, Nawalparasi (Bardaghat Sustapur), the road has been completely or partially blocked in the last one year. Most of these incidents occurred when the road was blocked due to landslides or fallen mud caused by heavy rains. The road was also blocked for hours when large equipment was jammed during road maintenance and trucks broke down.
The road was mostly blocked in the areas of Bishwokarma Temple, Ghyukhola, Triyasi Mod and other areas in the Daunne area.
The road blockages have increased since the start of the wall cutting work in the Daunne hills for the expansion of the Butwal-Narayangadh road. Chief Banjara said that the road in the Daunne area, which is only 14 kilometers long, was blocked more times last fiscal year than in the previous one.
“During the rainy season, due to continuous landslides, mud and road erosion, and on sunny days, the Daunne area is always problematic due to potholes and dust,” he said.
On December 11, the Binayi Khola bridge in Binayi Triveni Rural Municipality (1, Dumkibas) collapsed, causing traffic disruptions. The temporary diversion constructed during that period was repeatedly washed away by the river, causing traffic disruptions. The problem has been resolved since the new bridge over Binayi Khola came into operation on December 19.
For the expansion of the Daunne road section, the road was widened by banning non-essential vehicles from 11 am to 3 pm from Chaitra 27 to Chaitra 31 and from 11 pm to 5 am from Baisakh 1 to 31.
Currently, work is underway to erect walls, construct culverts, and make road slopes in the Daunne section, said Engineer Shiva Khanal, Information Officer of the Eastern Section.
Out of the 65 kilometers of the 114 kilometers of the Narayangadh-Butwal road section, work is underway to expand the road to three lanes, including six in the market area from Gaindakot to Daunne, and 14 kilometers of the Daiunne section, which is considered a high-risk area.
China State Engineering Corporation, which has been awarded the road construction contract at a cost of 17 billion, has so far extended the deadline three times. According to the latest extension, the work should be completed by mid-July. (RSS)