Construction work has commenced on the blacktopping of the Chakrapath Road, which encompasses five wards of the Pajhong Rural Municipality, including the main market area of Jomsom in Mustang.
The project is being undertaken by the Infrastructure Development Office as part of the provincial government’s prioritized initiative, “One Constituency, One Road.” The blacktopping work began on the Jomsom-Thini-Dhumbha section of the Chakrapath Road.
According to Ajay Shrestha, chief of the Infrastructure Development Office, construction contractors started using premix technology for blacktopping from Jomsom on Thursday. On the first day, 300 meters of the road were completed in one direction. Of the total 12 kilometers from Jomsom to Thini, Dhumbha, and Chairo, the first phase will see five kilometers blacktopped.
The agreement for the construction, which includes six kilometers of blacktopping and six kilometers of gravel work, was signed with the construction company on July 10, 2019, for NPR 214.3 million. The office reports that 65% of the physical progress has been achieved so far.
The Chakrapath Road will connect Jomsom, Thini, Dhumbha, Chimang, Chairo, Marfa, and Syang villages. The segment from Marfa to Syang to Jomsom is currently undergoing upgrading through the federal government’s Kali Gandaki Corridor and the Beni-Jomsom-Korala road project. The provincial government is also responsible for upgrading the Jomsom-Thini-Dhumbha-Chimang-Chairo section.
The road will facilitate access to Thini village and Dhumbatal, which have been developed as new tourist destinations in Mustang. Once blacktopped and graveled, the road will enhance mobility for local residents and tourists while also easing the marketing of agricultural products.
In addition, work on a motorable bridge over the Thini River has commenced under the provincial government, and a contract has been awarded by the Pajhong Rural Municipality in partnership with the federal government for the construction of a Bailey bridge connecting Chairo and Marfa, as noted by Bikal Sherchan, a member of the Gandaki Provincial Assembly elected from Mustang.
Efforts are underway to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for the construction of a motorable bridge over the Dhumbakhola, ensuring resource allocation through the Infrastructure Development Office. The selected contractor has begun work on the construction of a 35-meter-long prestressed motorable bridge over the Thini River.
Ghanashyam Rokaya, an information officer at the Infrastructure Development Office in Mustang, confirmed that the bridge over the Thini River will be constructed for NPR 44.67 million.
Source: RSS
