On May 28, presenting the financial plan for the upcoming fiscal year, Finance Minister Barsha Man Pun said all the 77 districts of the country are now connected by the national road network. But the ground reality is different. Without a bridge over the Karnali river at Chuwa Khola of Kharpunath rural municipality, Simkot, the district headquarters of Humla, remains to be connected to the national road network.
Villagers in the northwestern corner of Nepal bordering Tibet in China where the Humla Karnali crosses face hardships in the absence of one bridge. Though the track was opened to Simkot in mid-April, the construction of the bridge has yet to be completed. As a result, a 12 km section still needs to be completed to connect the district headquarters.
Now, vehicles carrying goods along the Karnali Corridor can only reach Kharpu. From there, the goods have to be transported by helicopters and carried over the river using cables, resulting in additional costs. This method, however, is possible only when the water level is low.
Due to the lack of a bridge, around ten vehicles bought for government offices and passenger service via Surkhet were taken across the river using ropes and a bulldozer. The cars are now operating on the Simkot side. In 2007-08, the government announced in the annual budget that it would connect Simkot to the national road network.
However, even after a decade and a half, Simkot is not connected to the national road network. In September 2021, the jo.
