January 4: Fifteen years in the making, the Mahakali Corridor – the lifeline of Sudurrpaschim Province in far western Nepal – has achieved progress in opening a 241-km-long track along the Kanchanpur-Darchula section. According to the project officials, ow only 93-km-long track is yet to be opened in Dadeldhura, Baitadi and Darchula.

Chief of the Mahakali Corridor Project Office, Laxman Dutta Joshi said they have expedited works to open the track in the remaining place.

“We have received permission to cut down trees. Preparation has been made to blacktop the road where the track has been opened," Joshi said, adding that trees along a 31-km-long stretch from Simalta-Bhageshwor-Sunarya section in Dadeldhura were being cleared.    
Around 2,600 trees need to be cut down in the Dadeldhura section. Works to open track on 35-km Sunarya-Dogadakedar section of Baitadi are underway while the initiative to clear trees and open track in the remaining area have been started.    
The project chief further shared that upgrading of a 5-km-long road in Dadeldhura will be completed in the current fiscal year.    
A total of 19,066 trees along the Mahakali Corridor should be cut down for the track.

The completion of the Mahakali Corridor is expected to bring a drastic change in Sudurpaschim Province.

Although the construction work of the Mahakali Corridor had started since the fiscal year 2065/66 BS, the project is yet to open tracks of all the roads that fall under the corridor.    
The corridor which links remote areas of Kanchanpur, Dadeldhura and Darchula bordering China would connect more than half of the hill areas of Sudurpaschim with the Tarai region. Altogether 425 km long road would be constructed from Kanchanpur to Darchula.    
Mahakali Corridor Road Project has been constructing 334-km-long road from Brahmadev to Tusarpani of Darchula while the Nepalese Army has been opening 91-km-long track from Tusarpani to Tinkar pass towards the extreme north. -- RSS