Lack of alternative route causes travel woes in three districts

By Prem Adhikari, Pashupatinagar (Ilam), July 20: The prolonged closure of the Mechi Highway and the failure to develop an alternative route have continued to disrupt transport services in Ilam, Panchthar and Taplejung districts.

Traffic has been severely affected after the Rajduwali section of the Mechi Highway was completely blocked by a landslide triggered by the gradual collapse of the road. 

Vehicles travelling from Jhapa to Ilam, Panchthar and Taplejung, as well as those heading to other destinations via Jhapa, have been forced to halt.

Although alternative routes exist, the situation has become increasingly complicated due to the failure of the Ilam Division Road Office and other concerned agencies to develop them. 

Despite experts saying the Maikhola (Rajduwali) section can no longer be repaired or reconstructed, the Road Division Office has continued excavation work at the site since last year. Continuous excavation has further damaged the area, turning it into a landslide-prone zone, yet work has continued.

Following the closure of the Rajduwali section, only small vehicles have been able to use the Simal Golai-Tilkeni road, while larger vehicles remain unable to operate. 

A temporary diversion was built after floods on October 4 and 5 last year washed away the Bailey bridge over the Jogmai River on the unpaved road. 

However, the diversion itself is also vulnerable. The Division Road Office is currently carrying out excavation work at the Jogmai River as well.

Locals say the road office failed to identify a viable alternative during the dry season and only began looking for one after the highway was blocked, leaving locals of the three hill districts to bear the consequences.

Krishna Poudel, president of the Ilam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said an immediate alternative to the Rajduwali section of the Mechi Highway must be found. He said repeated requests to the concerned authorities have failed to produce any concrete action.

The closure of the Mechi Highway has also highlighted delays in constructing the Kechana-Kanchanjunga Road, which is intended to serve as an alternative route. 

As a result, locals of Ilam, Panchthar and Taplejung are likely to continue facing hardship. 

Ilam Municipality Mayor Kedar Thapa blamed the Division Road Office, citing that it solely focused on repairing the existing highway rather than developing an alternative route.

The Division Road Office has argued that legal provisions require it to prioritise the repair and maintenance of federal highways, preventing it from constructing an alternative road. 

Division Road Chief Pawan Bhattarai said legal constraints have forced the office to concentrate on the Rajduwali section.

However, stakeholders say that if the federal government formally recommends approving an alternative route, the Council of Ministers has the authority to make such a decision. They criticised the concerned agencies for failing to pursue this option despite the prolonged transport disruption.

Frequent closures of the Mechi Highway have increased the importance of the Kechana-Kanchanjunga Road (Mechi Corridor), but delays in its construction have further affected locals of the three eastern hill districts.

The road, which was expected to provide smooth travel during highway closures, has remained incomplete for years.

Travelling from Ilam to Birtamod in Jhapa via the Mechi Highway currently requires a journey of around 86 kilometres. Once the Kechana-Kanchenjunga Road is completed, the distance is expected to be reduced to about 48 kilometres.

Khadka-Krishna-Saksham JV was awarded the contract on July 13, 2021, worth Rs. 272.153 million, with a completion deadline of two years. 

The deadline for the 9.5-kilometre Golakharka Bhanjyang-Belase section was initially set for January 14, 2024, but after repeated delays it has been extended until mid-October this year.

Though five years have passed, physical progress has reached only 46 per cent, according to the Division Road Office.

Bhattarai said the contract includes widening the road, constructing drainage systems, retaining walls, hume pipes, culverts, sub-base, base and blacktopping. However, not even a single metre of blacktopping has been completed so far.

During a previous visit to Ilam, former Minister for Infrastructure Development Sunil Lamsal directed the Division Road Office to terminate the contract, saying progress on the Belase-Rakase-Golakharka Bhanjyang section was unsatisfactory. 

The termination process was later suspended after the contractor was given a final opportunity to complete the work, but little progress has been made since then.

The planned Bailey bridge over the Puwakhola River has also yet to be built, leaving the region without an alternative route.

Transport has also been disrupted in other parts of Ilam after floods washed away bridges over the Mayun Khola on the Fikkal-Nayabazar road, the Deumai River in the Gajurmukhi area of Mangsebung, and several rivers in Phakphokthum Rural Municipality.