April 10:  Department of Railways has changed a track design(alignment) once again at Bara’s Nijgadh along the East-West Railways.

Officials at the Department of Railways said that talks between stakeholders of Nijgadh Municipality and the department had changed the track design(alignment) along the Nijgadh section for the second time. 

Engineer Sumod Pokhrel at the department said that alignment was changed for the second time to build station of East-west railways and Kathmandu-Birgunj railways to be constructed by India at the same place. 

Earlier, the track design was prepared from the east banks of Bakaiya khola at Nijgadh. As per the new track design, railway’s alignment will pass through forest area across Bakaiya khola at Nijgadh-10. 

Nepal government has initiated the work of 925 kilometers long railways from Kakarvitta in the east to Kanchnapur’s Gaddachauki in the west. 

The work to open the track from Bardibash to Nijgadh is underway. Locals have been disputing over the issue of alignment at Nijgadh area.

The department has been changing the alignment to allay concerns of the local people at Nijgadh.
Locals say that the changed alignment will destroy the forest  and Chure hill will be adversely affected.

Earlier, alignment was changed due to locals’ protest. Locals had formed a Railway Victim Concern Committee and protested saying that the alignment would destroy dense forest.

Railway department had agreed for the alignment to pass through the banks of Bakaiya Khola to address the concerns of local people.

Then, locals had submitted a memorandum of understanding to various agencies including the Office of Prime Minister. They had staged protest at various places, disrupting the survey work.  It takes 50-meter breadth of geography for the railway.