Due to the narrow road, travel along the Siddhartha Highway remains difficult even during routine construction work. Photo: Radhakrishna Dumre/TRN

Citizens of Syangja have expressed enthusiasm following the government’s announcement that work has begun on improving the Butwal-Pokhara section of the Siddhartha Highway.

A Cabinet meeting held on Thursday decided to accept grant assistance equivalent to US$ 2 million from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) for preparatory work on the road improvement project. This amount is said to be equivalent to approximately Rs. 3 billion.

The government said that the grant was accepted to make the necessary preliminary work to advance the highway improvement plan more effective.

As soon as news emerged that funding for road improvement would be made available, residents of the affected areas were filled with happiness.

Cheta Narayan Shrestha, President of the Waling Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that hope had now been rekindled that the road would finally be built.

“There were serious problems because the road was not in good condition. The government’s decision has given us hope that things will improve,” he said.

The Siddhartha Highway is a major national highway connecting the western and central parts of Nepal. The Butwal–Pokhara section, in particular, passes through geographically complex and hilly terrain, resulting in frequent landslides, road subsidence, narrow bends and a high risk of accidents every year. Stakeholders have long been demanding the improvement and upgrading of this route. With the Cabinet’s decision, the project’s preparatory process will now formally move forward.

Once the Siddhartha Highway Improvement Project is completed, it is expected that travel time between Butwal and Pokhara will be significantly reduced, the risk of road accidents will decrease, transportation costs will fall, and tourism will receive a boost.

This road, which connects Lumbini and Gandaki provinces, is considered extremely important from economic, social, and tourism perspectives.

As the current highway is narrow, hazardous and highly affected by weather conditions, upgrading it has become unavoidable. Local residents have complained that human casualties and economic losses are continuously increasing due to the poor condition of the road.

Bhirkot Municipality Mayor Govinda Kumar Karmacharya expressed hope that, following international-level studies and preparation, the road would be constructed according to modern standards.

Likewise, Galyang Municipality Mayor Guru Prasad Bhattarai thanked the government for showing interest in managing and improving the road.

Local representatives and businesspeople have also welcomed the Cabinet’s decision positively. Many have taken to social media to express their happiness and share their views.

By Radha Krishna Dumre