Construction of the 359-km Seti Highway began in the fiscal year 2008/09 with the goal of connecting the northern and southern ends of Far-Western Nepal. Despite being designated a priority project by the government, progress has been sluggish over the past fifteen years.
Once completed, the multi-purpose highway will traverse Baunia, Tikapur, Kailali, Chainpur in Doti, Achham, Bajura, and Bajhang, establishing a direct connection between Taklakot in Tibet and India via Nepal.
The project is divided into two sections: Southern and Northern. The 204-km Southern section includes an 80-km stretch in Achham, 12 km in Bajura, 40 km in Doti, and 72 km in Kailali, as reported by the state-owned news agency RSS. So far, track opening has been completed on 127 km of the Southern section, including 57 km in Achham and 70 km in Kailali.
Delays have been attributed to budgetary constraints and the absence of a tree-felling order, which significantly impacted the 40-km stretch in Doti.
According to Birendra Bahadur Chand, Head of the Southern Section at the Tikapur-Lode-Chainpur Road Planning Office in Sanfebagar, the Council of Ministers recently approved the tree-felling request. “Construction will pick up pace this fiscal year,” he said.
In the Kailali and Achham sections, two motorable bridges have been completed in each area, with two more currently under construction. Additionally, a bidding process is underway for another bridge in the Achham section.
The government has allocated Rs 700 million for both sections of the highway this fiscal year, says the RSS report.
Despite its potential to transform regional connectivity, the Seti Highway remains far from completion, reflecting persistent challenges in project management and resource allocation.
RSS
