The Hile-Chokrok-Bhirgaun-Madhuganga road in Dhankuta, which was started in 2057 BS with the help of locals, is being blacktopped after 26 years.

The blacktop work has now progressed on the first section of this road, which is under the ring road concept of Dhankuta Municipality. With the assistance of a grant of Rs 360 million from the World Bank, a 7.3 km road, which reaches Madhuganga Dham, which has religious and tourist importance, is being upgraded and blacktopped.

According to Sitaram Gautam, Administration, Planning and Monitoring Officer of Dhankuta Municipality, the cost of the project, which was initially agreed upon at Rs 320 million, has increased to Rs 360 million due to additional infrastructure construction and technical improvements.

According to him, out of the total 7.2 km road, 3.3 km has been sloped, while the remaining 4 km is being blacktopped. An agreement has been reached with the construction company to complete the work by Ashad 16. 'If the rains do not hinder the work, the work will be completed by Asad 7. After that, the work of beautifying the road, managing the drains and putting up the signs will proceed,' said Gautam.

The construction of this road was started by the locals through public labor. The villagers donated labor for 96 days to open the road track. At that time, the locals expanded the road on their own due to the lack of dozers and budget.

According to local Phurba Tamang, the confidence that the development of the village will take a new pace has increased after the road is blacktopped. 'We used to be bothered by mud and dust. Now it will be easier to take agricultural produce to the market. It will also be easier to take patients to the hospital and students to school,' he said.

Chokrok, Bhirgaun, Kintang and Madhuganga areas are known for producing carrots, radishes, potatoes, green vegetables and dairy products. In particular, Bhirgaun has been declared a carrot production pocket area by Dhankuta Municipality.
According to Chandralal Tamang, ward chairman of Dhankuta Municipality-2, a program has been launched to provide quality seeds, pesticides, technical advice and agricultural inputs to farmers. 'When the road is good, the transportation cost of produce will decrease. Farmers will be more likely to get a fair price for their produce,' said Tamang.

According to local farmers, due to the unpaved road, it is currently difficult to transport vegetables and milk to the market during the rainy season. It is expected that the marketing of agricultural produce will be more effective after the blacktop road comes into operation. This road will facilitate access to the important Madhuganga Dham from a religious and touristic point of view.

The Madhuganga area has become an attractive destination for religious tourism in recent years. It is expected that the arrival of domestic tourists will increase with the upgrading of the road and local hotels and businesses will also benefit directly.

Although the construction has been carried out according to the concept of the ring road, the second section of the road has not yet been blacktopped. Although the track was opened on the Hat-Malbanse-Bhirgaun-Madhuganga section of Dhankuta district headquarters on Thursday, the blacktop process has not been started due to lack of budget.

According to Gautam, although a proposal has been submitted to the World Bank for the upgrading and blacktop of the second section, approval has not been received yet. In the meantime, the municipality has been carrying out wall construction, culvert installation, drain management and soil cutting work at various places, he said.