Kailali: The Seti Highway, a priority project of the government, is progressing at a sluggish pace despite its significance to the prosperity of the Far West region. The construction of this crucial National Pride Project began in the fiscal year 2065-66 BS, aimed at enhancing the development of the Sudur Paschim Province by connecting its north and south borders. This vital roadway links Taklakot in Tibet with Baunia, Tikapur, Kailali at the Indian border, and passes through Chainpur in Doti, Achham, Bajura, and Bajhang.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the highway’s construction is strategically divided into two sections: the southern and northern sections. The southern section comprises 204 kilometers of road, including 80 kilometers towards Achham, 12 kilometers to Bajura, 40 kilometers to Doti, and 72 kilometers to Kailali. Of these, 127 kilometers of track, with 57 kilometers in Achham and 70 kilometers in Kailali, have been opened, as per project officials.
There are still 23 kilometers of tr
ack in the Achham section, two kilometers in Kailali, 40 kilometers in Doti, and 12 kilometers in Bajura that remain unopened. Construction was stalled due to the road division’s failure to secure the necessary budget and the absence of a tree felling order required to clear the 40 kilometers track of the Doti section on the southern side.
Birendra Bahadur Chand, head of the Seti Highway (South Section) at the Tikapur-Lode-Chainpur Road Planning Office, Sanfebagar, stated that the Council of Ministers has recently issued the tree felling order, allowing construction to proceed in the current fiscal year.
The project also includes the construction of several motor-able bridges. In the Kailali section, one bridge has been completed, and two more are under construction. In the Achham section, one bridge is finished, and another is in the bidding stage. The northern section features 128 kilometers of road in the Bajhang district. Meanwhile, in the Kailali section, a contract for blacktopping 14 kilometers has b
een secured, while in Achham, three kilometers have been blacktopped. The entire highway spans 359 kilometers in total.