Karnali Highway Story

भिडियो हेर्न तलको बक्स भित्र किल्क गर्नुहोस

Karnali Highway stretches from Bangesimal in Surkhet to Khalanga in Jumla. The highway is blacktopped and safety metal fences are now being installed on the sides. The eight bridges on the highway, however, are not in a good condition as a result of careless construction by the workers.After trucks and tractors started plying the highway, the mule caravans that used to plod over mountain trails to carry goods have become history.The road has facilitated commercial agriculture too. “Highways have been a key component of development,” said Jagadish Shahi, a 72-year-old local political leader. “The face of Kalikot has changed dramatically in just 10 years, thanks to the highway.” According to Shahi, slated-roofed houses in Kalikot have been replaced by concrete homes. Even on the rough terrain of Manma, houses are being constructed of modern concrete. Till 10 years ago, all the houses in Manma had thatch, slate or tin roofs.

“People have started to dismantle their homes to build modern and concrete houses,” said Ain Bahadur Shahi, president of the Nepal Construction Entrepreneurs Association in Kalikot.The trend has spread to villages like Hulma, Serighat, Tadi, Daha, Pili Pakha, Serawada, Bali, Juwitha Galje, Khallagad, Rachuli and Dhanada. Likewise, the people are developing Pili as a tourist destination. A homestay facility for visitors travelling to Rara in Mugu district has been constructed in Pili. This year, locals have planted 2,500 saplings in Pili. A higher secondary school has also been built.Karnali’s rural areas have become clean and hygienic due to the easy availability of cleaning tools. “Karnali Highway is the backbone of the development of Karnali,” said Krishna Prasad Acharya, member of the Karnali Development Commission. “The highway has opened the door to development.”Due to the highway, land and house prices in Jumla and Kalikot have skyrocketed. Kalu Prasad Upadhyay, a local of Manma, said that a land plot that used to cost Rs30,000 to Rs40,000 few years ago now costs Rs2 million to Rs3 million.

भिडियो हेर्न तलको बक्स भित्र क्लिक गर्नुहोस