February 24: The Kathmandu-Terai Expressway (Fast Track), a national pride project, is unlikely to be completed within the given deadline. The project still needs supplementary environmental impact assessment. Meanwhile, the revised design has pointed out the need to acquire more land for the right of way.

The expressway needs to increase the right of way to 100 meters, the new design states. Currently, the right of way of the expressway is 50 meters. However, as it is necessary to increase it up to 100 meters in terms of security, additional land acquisition, and tree felling are also required. Due to this, a supplementary EIA is needed by amending the previous EIA.

It will take a maximum of 7 months to prepare the supplementary EIA, according to the Nepalese Army.

Project Chief and Brigadier General (Technical) Bikash Pokharel said that it would be difficult to complete the work on time if the government does not assist in acquisition of forest, environment, and land. "The supplementary EIA has not been approved by the concerned body for seven months," Pokhrel added.

The government had assigned the contract management of the fast track to the Nepalese Army with a mandate to complete the construction of the expressway within fiscal year 2080/81. The army has requested for the acquisition of 411 ropanis of land in Khokna and facilitation by the concerned bodies in clearing the site for additional right of way.

"The big package and challenging task of the project is the construction of the tunnel," said Pokharel. According to him, it is estimated that 1 km of the tunnel can be dug in one year.

On this basis, a 3 km tunnel can be dug in 3 years, and the excavation from both sides can be completed within the contract period, said Pokharel. Along with this, the work of bridges on the expressway will also be completed. 

He claimed that the work of the expressway would be completed within the stipulated time if the budget is assured and no future obstruction surfaces.

He said, "As Khokna has become the center of five projects, the locals are afraid that Khokna will be lose its identity due to these projects. The locals are of the view that the expressway will not be a problem if the remaining four projects are not constructed here."

Along with the expressway, Smart City, Outer Ring Road, Transmission Line, and Bagmati Corridor projects are also linked with the area that lies on the outskirts of Lalitpur. Stating that the locals have put forward two conditions for the entry of the expressway, Pokharel said, "They are of the view that there should be no problem at the starting point of the expressway if it is ensured that the compensation of land is increased and none of the other four projects are undertaken there."