Kathmandu, 17 Sep: Completing the track-opening work at Krishnabhir within the announced deadline is an extraordinary and significant achievement in Nepal’s development and infrastructure sector. The success at Krishnabhir is not merely about reopening a section of road; it is also a strong example of the efficiency, determination and transformative capacity of Nepal’s development administration.
Major infrastructure projects in Nepal generally face delays due to slow implementation, budget overruns and technical shortcomings, making timely completion difficult. Against this backdrop, completing work on schedule in challenging terrain such as Krishnabhir is expected to provide encouragement to other major development projects to meet their deadlines. The achievement has also helped dispel the long-standing sense of frustration surrounding development projects in the country. It challenges the pessimistic narrative that “work cannot be completed on time in Nepal” and provides confidence and motivation that major national-priority projects can also be completed within their निर्धारित deadlines.
Former secretary of the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, engineer Tulsi Sitoula, said that strong political commitment and coordination are essential for completing any development project on time. He said the Prime Minister had publicly committed in Parliament to reopening the road by the end of Bhadra, prompting state agencies to work at full speed and in close coordination. As a result, the alternative route at Krishnabhir was completed within a short period.
According to Sitoula, the achievement has demonstrated that major work can be completed quickly when there is political commitment and effective coordination.
“Krishnabhir was completed within a short period because the full strength of the state was mobilized, state agencies coordinated with one another, and there was high-level monitoring,” he said. “If relevant agencies coordinate and move forward together, major projects, particularly projects of national importance, can also be completed within the निर्धारित timeframe.”
He said the work was completed quickly because all necessary responsibilities from the government side were fulfilled on time. “If all state mechanisms are mobilized and coordinated, and the necessary resources are provided, even major projects can be completed on time. For this, the top political leadership needs to ensure the necessary coordination among the concerned ministries and agencies,” he said.
Former vice-chairman of the National Planning Commission Dr. Prakash Shrestha said the construction of the Krishnabhir road had demonstrated that major tasks can be completed quickly when there is coordination among the relevant government agencies.
He said even large and nationally significant projects could be completed on time if state agencies coordinate effectively. Emphasizing the importance of setting clear targets for every project, he said, “In the case of Krishnabhir, the Prime Minister made a public announcement, and instructions were subsequently issued from the central level. Similar motivation and encouragement are needed for other projects as well. If projects are properly motivated, they can be completed.”
Krishnabhir is a section of the Prithvi Highway that had remained a major bottleneck for years because of destructive landslides. Opening a new track within the announced deadline on such an extremely fragile and hazardous hillside also demonstrates the technical capacity and determination of Nepal’s engineering and construction sectors.
The new track at Krishnabhir on the Prithvi Highway was completed within the deadline announced by Prime Minister Balendra Shah, primarily due to rapid technical decision-making, the mobilization of substantial resources and round-the-clock work. After a devastating flood in the Bhotekoshi River completely washed away the road, the government adopted a special strategy and completed the track-opening work in just 10 days.
Under the direct facilitation of Infrastructure Development Minister Sunil Lamsal, a team of 50 people, including technical personnel, worked continuously for 12 to 16 hours a day. Initially, 11 to 12 heavy machines were deployed, followed by the regular mobilization of graders, rollers and excavators at full capacity to cut through the hillside and level the road.
To ensure that the work continued around the clock, high-powered floodlights were installed in coordination with the Armed Police Force and the local government, allowing construction work to proceed rapidly even at night.
Highway to Fully Reopen From Today
According to the Narayangadh correspondent, the Prithvi Highway is expected to fully resume operations from Thursday following the opening of the diversion at Krishnabhir.
Senior Divisional Engineer at the Department of Roads Suresh Poudel said the track construction was completed on schedule by mobilizing the necessary resources, manpower and equipment, paving the way for the full operation of the highway.
“We have already issued a notice stating that the highway will be fully reopened from 6 a.m. Thursday. It will proceed accordingly,” he said.
He added, “We have completed the road restoration work within the निर्धारित timeframe and reached the stage where the highway can be reopened. The next task is to conduct the necessary studies and research to make the road sustainable. We have already started that work.”
