Bhotkhola Rural Municipality-2, Lingma’s Pengnurbu Bhote used to take three days to walk from Khandbari to his home. On Monday, when the announcement was made that the track opening work for the Khandbari-Kimathanka road was completed, he appeared very happy. “The residents of Bhotkhola had to walk for at least three days from the district headquarters Khandbari to their homes,” he said. “Now it will be much easier to reach home by vehicle.”
Pasangnurbu Bhote from Hatiya is also happy after the road reached Kimathanka. The 65-year-old shared his joy, saying his dream of taking a vehicle from Khandbari to his home had been fulfilled. “Now it will be possible to go up to Kimathanka Pass,” he said. “Before, without a vehicle, the people of Bhotkhola had to bring food and other materials from the district headquarters Khandbari at a high cost.”
He added that he was even happier because this road connects China and India. “Now it will be easier to transport food and clothes from Tibet through Khandbari to the Madhesh region,” he said.
The road construction began in 065/066 BS under the national pride project, the North-South Koshi Corridor. After the completion of the 158-kilometer road track, the “breakthrough” was officially announced. This road connects Jogbani in India to Kimathanka in Sankhuwasabha, and is part of the Koshi Highway, which links India and China.
From Jogbani to Khandbari, a 200-kilometer stretch has already been paved. For the Khandbari-Kimathanka road, the difficult 10.51-kilometer stretch from Chamtang to Ghongghoppa was entrusted to the Nepal Army for track opening. With the completion of track opening in this section, the road department has announced that the road will now undergo improvements and widening.
The “breakthrough” announcement for this road section was made in the presence of Minister for Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation, Deepak Khadka; Minister for Defense, Manbhir Rai; Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Devendra Dahal and former MP Rajendra Prasad Gautam. Prior to this, 134 kilometers of the road from Khandbari to Chamtang had already been completed. A 14-kilometer rough track has been opened from Kimathanka to Ghongghoppa.
Wangchedar Bhote, the Chairman of Bhotkhola Rural Municipality, stated that the road construction will significantly contribute to the economic development of Bhotkhola. “With the completion of the Koshi Highway connecting India to China, we have opened the track for the road,” he said. “Work on upgrading and widening the road is also underway.”
Minister Khadka emphasized the importance of this road in facilitating trilateral transportation, connecting Nepal, India, and China, and even benefiting Bangladesh. “Once the road connecting the three countries is operational, it will benefit not just Nepal, India, and China, but also Bangladesh,” he said. “We have urged the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure to allocate the necessary budget for the road’s upgrade.”
Minister Khadka also mentioned that the Arun River basin in the Kimathanka area offers great potential for the construction of hydropower projects. Defense Minister Rai highlighted that the road constructed by the army is a key infrastructure development for the country’s progress. He added that the army had completed the track opening ahead of schedule. “We have prioritized the eastern Kimathanka pass, the western Hilsa pass, and the Kerung pass,” he stated.
Minister Dahal committed to ensuring that budget constraints would not delay the completion of the remaining work on this road section. The army has also mentioned that with adequate budget, the widening of the road could be completed quickly.
Completion of Khandbari-Kimathanka Road Track Brings New Hope for Bhotkhola Residents
