Preparations are underway to move forward with the work on the Farsidol-Dukuchhap section, which is the starting point of the Terai/Madhesh Fast Track (Fast Track), by putting aside the dispute over the 3.3-km Khokana section in Lalitpur. The initial Detailed Project Report (DPR) is being revised to construct two concrete bridges on the 3.2-km section.

After work on the 6.5-km Khokana section could not proceed for a long time, the work on the Farsidol section is being moved forward, saying that the problem in that area will be resolved later. To move forward with work on that area, the DPR in the Ministry of Defense should be sent to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers and a decision should be taken there.

After the Khokana dispute had not been resolved for years, the then Prime Minister Sushila Karki had directed on 5 February to move forward with an alternative plan. Accordingly, two bridges should be constructed on that section. Similarly, a toll plaza (toll collection house) should be built at Farsidol, 3.3 kilometers from Khokana.

The proposal to approve the DPR with amendments for the construction of the bridge was submitted through the Prime Minister, but it was returned without a decision, said Kedarnath Sharma, Secretary of the Ministry of Defense. ‘The starting point has not changed,’ he said, ‘It is where it was said when the initial DPR was made.’ He said that the DPR will be amended in the Dukuchhap-Farsidol section and sent to the Council of Ministers for discussion and discussion on the construction of the bridge. He said that there are complaints that the starting point should be changed.

The fate of the construction project shown by the fast track

The problem of the Khokana section has not been resolved even after eight years since the Nepali Army took over the responsibility of construction management.

There is a large landslide downstream of Dukuchhap. The previous DPR mentioned that a road would be built from there. Now, after studying the area, it was found that the village itself would be at risk of landslides if the road is built, and a military source said that a DPR has been prepared to build a bridge in the Bagmati. Where a 500-meter-long bridge will be built. 'This will save less land. After the bridge is built, landslide prevention will not have to be done, which is a good thing,' said a military source, 'A DPR has been prepared to build bridges at two places in Dukuchhap.' A military source said that the contract process will be moved forward after the DPR is approved.

The Council of Ministers had decided on 21 Baisakh 2074 BS to give the responsibility of management of the construction of the fast track to the army. The Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport (currently Infrastructure Development) handed over the project to the army on 27 Shrawan 2074 BS. Accordingly, its construction is being managed by the army. The total distance of the fast track is 70.977 km. A budget of 17.64 billion rupees has been allocated for the Kathmandu-Terai Madhesh fast track.

It was said that all the work would be completed by Mangsir 2081 when the army took over the management. After it was not completed within that time, the deadline has been extended to Chaitra 2083. The Nepali Army claims that it was not able to start the work immediately after taking over the management due to the time it took for the DPR to be approved by the Council of Ministers. The work on the DPR began on 16 Asoj 2075 and was prepared on 19 Magh of the same year. Then it was approved by the Council of Ministers on 1 Bhadra 2076. The first revision of the DPR of the project was made on 30 Shrawan 2080 and the second revision was made on 25 Kartik 2081.

Locals have been adamant that projects including Smart City, Outer Ring Road, Fast Track should not be built in one place, saying that archaeological and cultural heritage will be destroyed if they are built in one place. The project is being constructed in 13 packages. National Planning Commission member Arjun Jung Thapa said that it is being divided into contracts until the problem in the Khokana section is resolved. ‘There will be one section from Dukuchhap to Farsidol, and another section from there to Khokana,’ he said, ‘For this, the Kathmandu-Terai/Madhesh Expressway Road Project had sought approval from the Council of Ministers through the Ministry of Defense. The Council of Ministers has already given its opinion to the Ministry of Infrastructure Development.’

He said that the Dukuchhap section is being redrawn to reduce damage as per the demand of the locals. ‘Out of the 6.5 km section, two sections have been made to start work on 3.2 km only so that the work on the entire section is not stopped,’ he said, ‘The road is being built up to Farsidol, and once the work starts, there is pressure on those who obstruct the construction.’

Although the deadline for the expressway is only until Chaitra 2083, there is no plan to complete the work within this period. The concerned bodies have suggested that the time should be extended by at least three years. So far, the physical progress of the project construction is 48.12 percent.

There has been no change in the starting point and the DPR of the Dukuchhap-Pharsidol section is in the process of being revised, said Army Spokesperson Assistant Lieutenant Colonel Rajaram Basnet. The study report on the starting point option conducted by a professor from Pulchowk Engineering Campus and a technical team from the Road Department was submitted to the Ministry of Defense and Physical Infrastructure and Transport in Chaitra 2080. The report, which was prepared after 9 months, mentioned that the Khokana area would be suitable, but no work has been done on it so far. Another option is to build a bridge over the Bagmati without falling into the Sikalighat area. However, the study has pointed out that this may cause social and cultural problems.

Another option is to make Bungmati the starting point and build a four-lane corridor road and acquire new land for it. It does not fall into the Sikalighat area. For this, new land will have to be acquired on the right bank of the Bagmati River. The study says that Bungmati can be used as the starting point and two-lane roads can be built along the Bagmati River corridor.

It has been said that additional land will be acquired on the left bank by making Bungmati the starting point. The report also mentions that another option is to make Dukuchhap the starting point and use the right bank of the Bagmati River and acquire some land for that. No work has been done on these options so far.