Surkhet, October 9
The settlement of Mukot, located at the foothills of Mukot Himal, the source of the Thuli Bheri River, has been connected to the road network. The local government has extended the road to Mukot despite the extremely difficult terrain and the challenges of construction in the high Himalayas.
With road access reaching the Mukot area, considered one of the world’s highest inhabited settlements, locals who have long faced geographical isolation are expected to benefit from easier transportation.
Road construction involved working at extreme altitudes, including 5,700 metres, 5,500 metres, 5,300 metres and 4,846 metres.
According to Bam Bahadur Bhandari, an engineer at Chharka Tangsong Rural Municipality, the road was built through snow-covered terrain at the foothills of the Himalayas. He said construction in the high Himalayan region had been extremely challenging due to limited resources and adverse weather conditions.
65-kilometre road constructed
Around 30 kilometres of road has been constructed from the Mustang side to Ward No. 1 of Chharka Tangsong Rural Municipality. An additional 35 kilometres has been built from there to Mukot, engineer Bhandari said.
The approximately 65-kilometre road from Mustang through Chharka to Mukot has connected the high Himalayan settlement to the road network. Bhandari said the provincial government constructed 10 kilometres of the road, while the rural municipality built the remaining sections.
The road has expanded transport access from the source of the Thuli Bheri River through various settlements to the foothills of Mukot Himal.
Previously dependent on walking routes, locals are expected to find it easier to transport daily essentials, travel between settlements and carry local products to markets now that road access has been established.
Construction amid snow and extreme altitudes
Road construction in the high Himalayas is far more difficult than in ordinary terrain, engineer Bhandari said. Extreme altitudes, snow, cold weather and challenging geography posed numerous obstacles during construction.
“We carried out road construction by cutting through the snow at the foothills of the Himalayas,” Bhandari said.
The local government views the road’s extension to Mukot as more than an infrastructure project, describing it as an important effort to connect a remote Himalayan region with the mainstream of national development. The road is also expected to open up new opportunities in education, healthcare, trade and tourism.
Locals said the road, which extends from the source of the Thuli Bheri River through various settlements to the foothills of Mukot Himal, demonstrates the potential for infrastructure development in high Himalayan areas.
The road connecting Dolpa through Mustang has also shortened the travel route.
