Raj Kumar Parajuli
KAVREPALCHOWK: A technical team of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has started inspecting BP Highway for reconstruction.
Several sections of the 158-km Highway was damaged by the disaster triggered by incessant rainfall across the country on September 27-29 this year.
The Highway that connects Kathmandu Valley along the Araniko highway to Bardibas along the East-West Highway was constructed with the financial assistance of JICA.
The technical team has made on-site visit to the damaged sections of the Highway for three days recently, according to the Division of Road, Bhaktapur.
The Division was also waiting for the JICA's decision regarding reconstruction of the Highway. Now the inspection is taking place, the JICA is expected to present its report with decisions by the first week of December, said Office's Chief Suman Yogesh.
Meanwhile, the government of Nepal is also preparing to rebuild this Highway that provides an alternative link to Kathmandu with the Terai region.
It may be noted that Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had held a courtesy meeting with Japanese Ambassador to Nepal, Kikuta Yutaka, on October 16 and discussed JICA's support for the reconstruction of the Highway.
Office Chief Yogesh assured that there will not be any delay in the process of the highway reconstruction. "We will spring into reconstruction once the JICA comes up with decision regarding the reconstruction of the BP Highway," he mentioned.
He also clarified that if JICA does not reconstruct the Highway, the Division of Road Office will start the process on its own within two months. The reconstruction cost is estimated at Rs 7 billion. ---
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