The work of construction of 9 bridges of the famous tri-national road Karnali Corridor has not yet started. Bel Bahadur Nepali, Head of Road Division Office Humla, said that although the contract was signed on 30th June 2017 for 9 concrete road bridges in Kalikot, Bajura and Humla sections under the corridor, the work has not yet started.

All the roads in the corridor are looked after by the Bridge Road Division office in Humla, while the road from Kalikot to Bajura is looked after by the Piluchour office in Bajura. It has been 3 years since the contract for 9 bridges of the corridor was awarded. The head of road division office Humla Nepali said that the contractor has not started the work.

According to him, construction professionals should work after getting the design of the bridge approved.  According to the provisions, the design of 7 out of 9 bridges is yet to be approved. When the contract period is over, only 3 months are left. The contract period is only till October 30.

Kalikot Member of Parliament Mahendra Bahadur Shahi expressed his anger in the Parliament meeting on June 23, saying that 9 road bridges including 3, Baddi Gad Juddi, Kavadi Khola, Humla's Gulfa Gad, Sallisalla in Kalikot section have not been completed despite the contract. "9 bridges of the Karnali Corridor are standing still," he said, "The government is celebrating the construction of a temporary belay bridge."

Under the Karnali Corridor, the steel bridge of Phugad River in Calikot was swept away by the flood in June 2076, and the road is closed when it rains. Head of road division Nepali said that Wikoi Construction, which has been awarded the contract to build a concrete bridge over Phugad river on the border of Pachaljharna and Raskot, Sannigad river between Sanni Triveni and Raskot and Rahgad Khulalu river in Narahari Nath rural municipality, has not yet approved the design of the bridge from the road department.

'The contractor will make the design for the consultant. After sending the designed design to the officials of the road department, the error should be corrected by incorporating the feedback,' he said, 'Consultants are also busy, if they don't give time, there will be delays.' 

Hariram Koirala of Bikoi Construction, who got the contract of 18 crores for 3 bridges in Calikot, said that the work could not be started due to the delay in getting the design approved by the road department. After the rain, the river swelled and there was no bridge to cross the river. A new bridge has not been built since the iron belay bridge and the previous suspension bridge built by the Nepalese army were washed away in June 2076. 

In the dry season, it is not difficult for vehicles and pedestrians to cross the river, but it is difficult to cross the river during the rainy season. Small jeeps and motorbikes are stopped because they cannot cross the Fugad river. The locals complain that there is no bridge over the river.

'The bridge for cars is something else', Sumitra Bam of Pachaljharna 4 Ramnakot said, 'There is no suspension bridge for pedestrians. It is impossible to cross when the river is high. She complained that pedestrians have to go up and down for 3 hours to cross the suspension bridge of Phukot village.

District Coordinating Committee Deputy Head Meena Rawat Wik, who was forced to walk through the local detour after not being able to cross the Phugad river, complained. "The corridor is closed during the rainy season," she said, "even if the government advertises that Humla Gadi has reached the road, the road is always blocked in the Phugad river in Calikot." It can be made easier by providing ropes, life jackets, boots with trained manpower and equipment to cross the river for pedestrians. He said that it is necessary to get the attention of the state.