The Sindhuli section of the BP Highway is riddled with potholes just four months after the Banepa-Sindhuli-Bardibas Road Project repaired the road stretch.

“The Sindhuli section was repaired recently, but it has already developed potholes. It’s become very risky to drive on that section. Because of the state of the road section, it takes us around six hours to reach Kathmandu from Sindhuli; earlier it would take us about four hours,” said Santosh Karki, the driver of a four-wheeler who commutes daily along the highway.

Immense traffic, especially of heavy goods carriers, has taken a toll on the recently repaired road, said Ramesh Acharya, a technician of the road project. According to the road project officials, lack of proper drainage system along the highway and ongoing construction of houses have also caused waterlogging on the surface of the road, which has lead to the formation of the potholes.

“We repaired the road just four months ago, but the road is damaged again. The locals carelessly dispose of soil onto the road from their construction sites, leading to waterlogging. The road project, local units and the locals should work together to keep the road in good condition throughout the year,” said Acharya.

The locals believe that excessive use of excavators while levelling the ground to build houses has worsened the road condition. Though the government has banned tripper trucks on the road section, they are seen carrying sand and pebbles, and their numbers have actually risen with the increase in the number of crusher industries near Sunkoshi river, locals say. “It is a very important highway with heavy traffic. But the authorities repair the road quite carelessly,” said Pushkar Thapa of Sindhuli. “The number of goods carrying tippers should be controlled.”

BP Highway is the shortest route that connects the Kathmandu Valley with the eastern Tarai region. According to the District Traffic Police Office, around 2,000 to 2,500 vehicles, including cargo lorries and buses, use the highway on a daily basis.

The highway, inaugurated by the late prime minister Sushil Koirala in July 2015, was constructed with a Japanese grant of Rs21.5 billion. The 37-metre road had collapsed at Tribenighat in Sindhuli in 2017. Authorities claimed that heavy traffic was the cause behind the severe damage then as well.