DISPUTES over alignment, heavy demand for compensation and lack of coordination among government agencies have emerged as major problems facing implementation of road projects. Seti Highway, Postal Road, Mid-Hill Highway, Kathmandu-Tarai Fast Track road are some of the projects facing such problems. At a recent annual project review meeting at the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport (MoPIT), DoR officials said that it has been two years since they sought Department of Forest’s permission to cut down the trees and make way for alignment along the Tikapur- Achham stretch of the Seti Highway but without success. The highway links Achham, Bajura District and Bajhang and meet border of China. Tulasi Prasad Sitaula, secretary at the MoPIT, said problems in the Seti Highway and Postal Highway had emerged as the projects’ work was pushed in haste without completing the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The delay in clearing the space for alignment falling in forest areas in eastern Kailai has prevented the contractors from opening a track of the Postal Highway. “Alignment dispute and land acquisition have become tough issues when implementing projects,” said Arjun Jung Thapa, deputy director general of the DoR.
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