A Highway forgotten!
Pharping to Hetaunda

Last Friday, the entire editorial team of the Telegraph Weekly was on a mission to Pharping to get acquainted with the existing status of the much publicized highway that connects Kathmandu to Hetaunda via Pharping.

The team managed to talk to a sizeable chunk of the population of the Talku village, a village some ten kilometers from Pharping who told us of their inner pains and wishes about the construction of the highway talked above.

The highway, named as Birendra Highway, is, needless to say, the shortest route to join the Kathmanduites to Hetaunda, which needs government's attention in order to bring it to full operation. The highway could well be used even today as our team could notice the movement of some private micro-buses, JICA vehicles and some goods loaded mini-trucks on the said highway.

Thanks the villagers that this road is being used by those who happen to go to Hetaunda either for fun or for that matter to cut short the distance and fuel as well.

Villagers told us that many international donors exhibited their interst in the construction of this highway, however, what happened later is still a mystery. Allege the villagers that it is the sheer negligence of the establishment in Sigh Durbar that this highway remains in this dilapidated condition.

The government is hereby advised to look into this matter seriously and do the needful so that not only the villagers of this area benefit from the social transformation that will accompany upon the completion of this highway but would also cut short the prices of the fuel and save time as well.

In the process, we talked to some prominent villagers of the Talku village and tried to enquire about the fresh status of the road that could link Kathmandu with Hetaunda well within three hours. Below the results of our short trip to the Talku village made last Friday-Chief editor.

Pharping-Hetaunda road be taken as an alternative highway

Manhari Khadka, Talku, Dande-Chour VDC

TGQ1: Mr. Khadka could you please tell us about the present status of the Birendra Highway that connects Pharping with Hetaunda? Your remarks please!

Mr. Khadka: Well! This is the shortest route from Kathmandu to approach the Terai plains.

This village, where you are at the moment, is Talku and is approximately ten kilometers from Pharping. I suppose from here Hetaunda is about fifty plus kilometers only.

After this village you will come across with PHAKHEL then to KULEKHANI to KHANIKHET and to Hetaunda finally. From here if you cross some more five kilometers, you will then have access to better road conditions.

To begin with, the idea of having this highway that linked Hetaunda with Kathmandu was the basic plan mooted by the citizens of Hetaunda. However, unfortunately, this road is yet to take off the grounds. Nevertheless, what ever you see today, it is the people of this area who have contributed their free labor to bring this road to these workable conditions. The people here have donated their land for free and have added their labor as well in order that upon the completion of the road they and their society would benefit.

The graveling, which you see, is our own contribution. The moment there is concrete stones dumped in the road, it is the people who themselves level it in the roads.

All that we wish that the government took this road as an "alternative" highway. The completion of this highway is in the larger interest of the nation in more ways than one.

When Surya Bahadur Thapa was the nation's prime minister, I was the village level president and had initiated some jobs in this regard. However, with the collapse of the government, I can only pray for this road.

This highway connects you to Palung and Tistung

-Dan Bahadur Adhikari, Talku VDC

TGQ2: As an elderly citizen, you Mr. Adhikari must have some knowledge about the origin of the construction of this link road to Hetaunda. Could you recall some of them for our readers? Your comments please!

Mr. Adhikari: To my knowledge, I think the idea of having this road built for the public us was mooted around early 60s, some four decades plus ago.

From here, the Talku village where you are enjoying tea with the villagers, Hetaunda is only fifty plus kilometers. This road gets linked to BHIMPHEDI which later gets connected with Hetaunda and from there you can move to any destinations in the Western Terai plains, for example, Biratnagar in the East and Birganj in the South.

The beauty of this Highway is that it connects TISTUNG and PALUNG, the two small towns in the BY-ROAD which are famous for growing high class green vegetables.

The rumor that the officials at the KULEKHANI Hydro power station have impeded the construction of this road is unfounded. One official named Mr. Basnet told me that neither he nor any of his staffs were against the construction of this road.

Amazingly, today, Friday November 19 2004, we could see more than two hundred vehicles plying on this road. It could be that the vehicles were diverted to this route for the normal route is affected by the Maoists sponsored closure. This means that this road could be well used at critical and crucial times as well which illustrates the very importance of this link highway. Sadly, the government is silent as if the construction of this road is not in their political priority. Shame on the government.

The highway could be made even shorter

-Ramesh Kumar Gurung, Talku VDC

TGQ3: You told us Mr. Gurung that the PLAN, an INGO, is still active for the construction of this highway. How far this is correct? Your remarks please!

Mr. Gurung:Yes! I suppose the Plan international non-governmental organization is still active in this connection. I am told that they still have one office in Hetaunda working on this project.

However, they are not seen these days. The road is total graveled one. The people of this are adonated not only their lands but provided their free labor as well. The highway, which is approximately sixty kilometers to Hetaunda, could be made even shorter if good and expert engineers are invited to do so. It could be one of the best Highway for this country as sixty percent of the vehicles directed towards the Wastern terai could be made to use this road. The beauty of this area is that as and when there is a ditch in the road, we the people ourselves maintain it and that too for free.

Scores of consultants and surveyors have come to this place and the process continues, however, the road is where as it was some two decades ago. The government is deaf and dumb. No initiative is seen from the government.

If this road is constructed it would make the villages of this area prosperous for the local products would find a suitable market in the towns that it would join upon the completion. We can sell our vegetables in Kathmandu and Hetaunda. A bigger market would be available. The importance of this highway is that even the goods at the dry port of Birganj could be routed through this route to Kathmandu. The living standards of the people could well be raised in two years. Apart from this, the vehicles plying in the normal route could use this high way to minimize fuel and distance. Mocro-buses have begun plying inthis route. If the government makes it a black-topped one, then economic miracles would begin to take place. Sadly, no body listens to our clarion calls.

Two passenger vehicles ply from Kulekhani to Pharping daily

-Pushpa Raj Gurung, Talku VDC

TGQ4: Do we need several bridges to bring this highway in operation? Mr. Gurung your comments please!

Mr. Gurung: This is shortest highway to link Kathmandu to Hetaunda. You can return Kathmandu the same day and that too without much difficulties. Micro-buses are already plying to and fro from Hetaunda to Kathmandu.

Upon the completion of this road, the Kathmanduites can enjoy the fresh and quality fishes from Kulekhani. The highway could be made shorter that what it is today. The turnings in this highway are not that dangerous as one is made to think. You don't need bridges. Okay even if you need then I am sure that even one medium sized bridge would suffice for full-fledged operation. This highway, fortunately, does not come across with sizeable rivers and rivulets.

For your information, two passenger buses from Pharping plies in this road to Kulekhani on a regular basis which testifies the claim that this highway is already in operation.

Those who wish to travel to East can do so at less cost of money and fuel and time as well.

Government's negligence is the biggest hurdle

-Shyam Tamang, Palung

TGQ5: Mr. Tamang, can you tell us your own experience as a driver plying in this highway? Your remarks please!

Mr. Tamang: Well I am a resident of Palung town. The dry straw that I am carrying is from Pakhachowk and has got to be delivered to Palung. This highway has benefited persons like others and me who are driving vehicles in this road. This road connects one to Palung through Kulekhani, yet another vegetable growing town, which is, located some kilometers ahead from here.

I make with this vehicle four trips to and from. It would have been very nice had this road been blacktopped as it would have facilitated me to earn more.

The villagers of this area have done remarkable jobs, to say the least. The government is aloof from such developmental matters. We wish the government to act but alas!

The completion of this highway would bring brighter days for the people living in this area. Full operation of this highway will bring down the prices of the consumer goods, I suppose.

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