“I had thought I would never see one of these vehicles in this life. Now I have no regrets even if I die,” said Rawal, who is in her forties.
Many villagers like Rawal are thrilled by the construction of the road in their settlements, which is considered to be one of the remotest areas of Nepal.[break]
But they are not really aware of the benefits of the road construction. “Roads will ferry rich people’s things. How will it benefit us?” she asks.
Some of the educated villagers are, however, hopeful that the costs of living will now plummet. “Now, even ambulance service can be started,” says Gorat Bahadur, another local from the same village who was standing among the crowd who had gathered to observe the motor vehicle for the first time in their land.
On the journey from Jiya in Jumla to Gamgadhi, the district headquarters of Mugu, which cover 30 kilometers, one can clearly perceive hope, joy and excitement in the locals. Some were happy to ride vehicles while others were just glad to have seen them.
“It took four days to reach Surkhet when I was studying in +2. Now we can reach there in a day,” says Rita Bhandari, a student of Bachelor’s from Daav Village, the endpoint of the road in Jumla.
As she serves tea to the guests, the brew made from the herbs that are grown in the area, she also shares her concerns over the safety of the road.
The people gathered at the Gamgadhi headquarters for the inauguration ceremony of the Nagma-Gamgadhi Road on December 16 articulated the people’s anticipation from the road construction. From elders, women carrying infants and children, the participation of the people in the ceremony was so huge that it was hard to believe that Karnali is the least populated region of the country.
According to former assistant minister of education Hasta Bahadur Malla, such huge local participation had never taken place in the area. A day before inauguration, locals stood in different parts of the road sections to welcome the vehicles that came for the ceremony and felicitate the guests with garlands.
Karnali is considered as one of the most rural areas of Nepal. Its inhabitants have been surviving through poverty, hunger, lack of education and vulnerability to diseases. Due to such harsh conditions, women in their thirties and men after mid-thirties already look like senior citizens.
Though rich in natural resources, Mugu stands at the bottom of the development list, according to human development reports.
But after the road construction, Mugu has made two steps forward in road connectivity. Humla and Dolpa still fall short when it comes to construction of motorable roads. Former chairman of Mugu District Development Committee, Mohan Baniya shared that the road construction has given the locals new vigor. He says that the road should now extend to Nagchelagma, on the Tibetan border.
Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, Finance Minister Barshaman Pun, Minister of Physical Planning and Works Hridyesh Tripathi and Vice Chairman of the National Planning Commission Dipendra Bahadur Chhetri visited the Gamgadhi headquarters for the inauguration of the road.
Local political parties refrained from mixing politics with the development of the district. Therefore, nobody obstructed the ceremony by pointing at others’ flaws or greeting the leaders with black flags. The local leaders from all the major political parties expressed their opinions from the same podium during the inauguration.
According to Major Sanjay KC, the chief technician of the road construction taskforce of Nepal Army, the parties dissolved their differences and came to an understanding regarding the development processes of the district. The Nepal Army has accomplished the tedious task of opening the 92-kilometer-track that connects Nagma Gath of Kalikot District with Gamgadhi. Covering a distance of 296 kilometers, the gravel road from Surkhet to Gamgadhi has made it easier to ferry goods between the locations.
At the inauguration ceremony, Finance Minister Pun pointed out the economic possibilities of the Karnali Zone. “Karnali has to explore many prospects such as herbs, tourism and hydropower. The government will always support the people for its economic development and poverty eradication,” he announced in his speech.
Barley, wheat, potato, buckwheat and beans are the major agricultural produce of the region. The locals also rely heavily on herb plantation. “My neighbors earn fifty thousand to three lakh Rupees from selling herbs,” says Rita Bhandari of Daav Village.
Minister Pun also said that the government will prioritize budget allocation for the facelift of the Karnali Highway to improve its access to the other parts of the country.
On the other hand, Minister of Physical Planning and Works Tripathi expressed his discontent at the lack of road connectivity to Humla and Dolpa even in the 21st century. “(But) this highway will act as a turning point in Karnali’s fate. We’ll have to collect resources to uplift its standard,” he said.
The Nagma-Gamgadhi section of the Karnali Highway reaches up to 11,500 feet in altitude, according to Major KC. The road section that leads to hilly terrains is now covered with snow. Trekking for two hours from Gamgadhi leads to Rara Lake, the biggest alpine freshwater deposit in Nepal. It is also one of the most beautiful tourist destinations in the country.
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