Khandbari-Kimathanka road ‘breakthrough’

Kathmandu. The road from Khandbari in Sankhuwasabha to Kimathanka along the Koshi Highway connecting China from Jogbani checkpoint to Kimathanka in Sankhuwasabha has been ‘broken through’.The ‘breakthrough’ of the 158-kilometer road from Khandbari, the Sankhuwasabha district headquarters, to Kimathanka, the northern border checkpoint with China, was completed today.

The ‘breakthrough’ of the road was carried out today in the presence of three ministers of the federal government after the Nepal Army broke through a 10.5-kilometer rocky cliff on the Khandbari-Kimathanka road from Chyamtang to Ghongghoppa to open the track.The road was ‘broken through’ in Bhotkhola Rural Municipality-1, Chyamtang, in the presence of Deepak Khadka, Member of the House of Representatives of Sankhuwasabha and Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Minister for Defense Manbir Rai, and Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Devendra Dahal. Along with the ‘breakthrough’ of the road, the work of opening the track of the Koshi Highway from India to China will be carried out along with the upgrading and widening of the road.

Earlier, Minister Khadka had been continuously taking the initiative to break through the road. He had met Defense Minister Rai and the Nepal Army team involved in the construction on December 12 and drew attention to the speedy completion of the road.At the program, Minister Khadka said that with the connection of the Khandbari-Kimathanka road, it will play an important role in trilateral transit. He mentioned that once the road connecting the trilateral border is operational, Nepal-India and China, as well as Bangladesh, can benefit.

Minister Khadka had urged the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure to allocate the necessary budget for the road upgrade. Minister Khadka said that since the Arun River flows through the Kimathanka area, other hydropower projects can be built in the area. “It is necessary to operate it soon as significant achievements can be achieved in hydropower development through the access to this road,” he said.

At the program, Defense Minister Rai said that the road being constructed by the Nepali Army is an important infrastructure for the development of the country. He thanked the Nepali Army for completing the work of opening the road track ahead of schedule.Minister Rai mentioned that the government has prioritized the Kimathanka checkpoint in the east, the Hilsa checkpoint in the west, and the Kerung checkpoint. Minister Rai instructed the army to complete the remaining work quickly.

Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Dahal said that there will be no shortage of budget to complete the remaining work of the road section. He mentioned that the government will allocate the necessary budget for the construction of the bridge on the road section.

Bhotkhola Rural Municipality Chairman Bangchedar Bhote said that the construction of the road will help in the economic development of Bhotkhola. ‘With the road breakthrough, a golden day has begun for Bhotkhola, Sankhuwasabha and the entire country,’ he said.

The Nepali Army informed about the progress of the work it has done at the program. The army has stated that the budget for road construction is insufficient, but if the budget is ensured, the road widening work can be completed quickly.