The 10-kilometer road section in the Fedap area of Tehrathum district remains unfinished after more than ten years and is now preparing for its eighth extension. The road construction work, contracted in 2015 (2072 BS), was promised to be completed by 2017 (2074 BS), but the company has lost contact. Due to the incomplete road, local residents, drivers, and tourism operators face daily challenges affecting their livelihood and economic activities. Report dated Chaitra 17 from Tehrathum.
For the residents of the Fedap area in Tehrathum, the road is not just physical infrastructure but a lifeline that links their daily life, opportunities, and future. This road is the only connection between the citizens of Atharai and Fedap and the district headquarters. However, ironically, the 10-kilometer stretch from Khorangwa Khola to Yawara, part of the Mid-Hill Highway, remains incomplete even a decade after the contract. On September 16, 2015 (Bhadra 31, 2072 BS), the Gauri Parbati Koshi and Nyaupane JV company was awarded the contract to pave this road segment of Fedap Rural Municipality. Despite a budget exceeding NPR 391.8 million and a commitment to complete the work by 2017, the construction remains unfinished to date.
This project has already undergone seven deadline extensions and is currently preparing for its eighth. The construction company is no longer in communication. Out of a total 119 kilometers of the Mid-Hill Highway located within Tehrathum district, 109 kilometers have been paved, leaving this 10-kilometer stretch in Fedap incomplete. While progress has accelerated elsewhere, the Fedap residents continue to endure dusty roads during the dry season and muddy conditions during the rains. In winter, the road becomes dusty; vehicles stirring up dust cover houses, shops, and farms, adversely affecting health.
During the rainy season, the road becomes muddy, vehicles often get stuck, and flowing water causes the road to appear like a stream, making transportation difficult. Local resident Dil Kumari Limbu from Simle commented, “It is challenging to send children to school and take patients to the hospital. Traveling to markets is even harder as we have to walk on dusty roads, and sometimes vehicles get stuck in the mud.” The incomplete road lacks essential walls, drainage, and safety structures, increasing landslide risks during the monsoon.
Dambar Kumari Bastola shared, “Land was cut for the road construction, but no protection measures were taken. Now, during rains, we feel afraid even staying at home. Sometimes, I cannot sleep at night due to the fear of landslides.” Operating vehicles on this road is not only challenging for drivers but also financially burdensome. Breakdown, road damage, and the risk of accidents have made the business unstable. Driver Jaydev Shah explained, “I get up early and drive on this road. Each journey is stressful. Sometimes, the vehicle gets stuck in mud; sometimes, the road collapses. I have suffered losses. Witnessing near accidents is frightening. But I have to continue driving to support my family.”
His experience highlights that an incomplete road causes not only loss of time and money but also endangers lives. Local tourism entrepreneur Bam Bahadur Limbu said, “If the road were good, many tourists would visit. Resorts and homestays could be established here. But the current conditions prevent utilizing this potential. Tourists do not come, and local employment opportunities are lost.” The delay in road completion stems not only from negligence by the construction company but also from a lack of monitoring and evaluation. Although plans are announced, budgets allocated, and contracts signed, ineffective implementation causes such national pride projects to stall indefinitely.
Locals express, “If the road were complete, children could attend school easily, patients would reach hospitals on time, goods could be transported to markets, and tourism would generate jobs. But after ten years, we remain caught in dust and mud.” This decade-long delay in completing the 10-kilometer road segment reflects systemic issues in national infrastructure development. The experiences of residents, drivers, and tourism entrepreneurs demonstrate that without transparency, accountability, and effective oversight in implementation, incomplete roads will continue to symbolize failure instead of progress. The dusty and muddy path in Fedap has become more than a concern—it has become a question mark over the construction companies themselves. Development must be felt in the lives of the people, not just on paper. Only then will the Fedap road truly become a trusted symbol of progress locally.
