The construction of the shortest route connecting Diktel Bazaar, Khotang’s major commercial hub, to the eastern Tarai districts has reached its final stage. The Diktel-Khanidanda-Regmitar road is expected to cut travel time by about an hour compared to the existing 59-kilometer Diktel-Mahure-Regmitar road.
Track opening on the 14.5-kilometer section from Ahale in Khalle of Diktel Rupakot Majhuwagadhi Municipality-4, to Regmitar in Rajapani of Halesi Tuwachung Municipality-11 is ongoing. Once operational, it will replace the longer Mahure-Buipa-Bijaykharka-Rajapani route, said Diktel Mayor Tirtha Raj Bhattarai.
“The municipality has prioritized this project as a flagship initiative since its launch in fiscal year 2022/23,” Bhattarai said. “Only 500 meters of the track remain to be opened, and work is expected to be completed within a month.”
So far, Rs 8.5 million has been invested in the project, with the Koshi Province government allocating Rs 4 million for the current fiscal year. A total of Rs 6 million was spent in the past two fiscal years.
The road is being constructed through a partnership between the municipality and the provincial government, with efforts underway to expedite completion, according to Khalle Ward Chairperson Khagendra Rai.
Diktel Deputy Mayor Bishan Rai stated that upgrading and blacktopping will be the next priority once the track opening is completed. “This will be the most efficient route linking Diktel to the eastern Tarai,” Rai said.
Previously, the then Khotang District Development Committee attempted to open a direct track from Ahale to Ghartibhir in Rajapani and from Regmitar to Ghartibhir along the Diktel-Gaighat Highway. However, a massive rock formation at Ghartibhir remains a major obstacle.
Currently, the Diktel-Regmitar route consists of a 30-kilometer blacktopped stretch from Diktel to Mahure, with ongoing blacktopping on the 29-kilometer Mahure-Rajapani-Regmitar section. The under-construction Diktel-Khanidanda-Regmitar road will be 17.5 kilometers shorter than the existing route.
Once regular transportation begins on the new Diktel-Khanidanda-Regmitar road, the cost of transporting essentials such as food, fuel, and hardware is expected to drop by Rs 2-5 per kilogram, according to local businesses.
Meanwhile, the 10.97-kilometer Diktel-Khanidanda-Ahale road was recently blacktopped under a National Reconstruction Authority project at a cost of Rs 210 million.
RSS
