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Mustang, Nov 16: The 10.5-kilometre circular road connecting Thak–Pang villages in Gharapjhong Rural Municipality is in its final phase. The contract with Bandana Bhagwati Construction Services was signed in June 2019, and after six years of delays, work is nearing completion, according to the Physical Infrastructure Ministry of Gandaki Province.

Under the province’s “One Election, One Road” plan, the infrastructure development office has been building the road from Mustang headquarters through Thini, Dhumba, Chairo, Chimang, Marpha, Syang to Jomsom. The project includes 5 kilometers of asphalt from Jomsom to Dhumba and 5.5 kilometers of gravel connecting Dhumba to Chairo, Chimang, and Marpha, providing access to eastern riverside settlements, said engineer Ghanshyam Rokamagar.

Delays were caused by repeated extensions requested by the construction company, citing COVID-19, harsh weather, and snowfall. Initially scheduled for completion in January 2021, the project has received seven deadline extensions. The total cost for Gharapjhong wards 1, 2, 4, and 5 is NPR 24.45 million.

Rokamagar said the road will be handed over to the district office within the current fiscal year. Physical progress stands at 93 percent, with 88 percent of funds utilized. Work completed includes drainage along six kilometers, asphalt paving for five kilometers up to Dhumba Tal, and gravel road expansion through rock-cut sections from Dhumba Tal to Chairo–Chimang.

Remaining tasks include installing traffic signal poles, clearing drains, and adding protective barriers at accident-prone sections. Once complete, the road will link local villages, easing the transportation of apples, grains, fruits, and vegetables for farmers in the region.

People’s News Monitoring Service