Locals living in Bajura are seeing their lives transform before their very eyes as the opening of a road has made the remote area more accessible.

Since the road opening, Patkala Singh has managed to visit her parent’s house in Jukot, Bajura—the first time in seven years. After getting married and moving to Kailash, Bajhang, she has not been able to make the trip to her parent’s house as the journey can take up to five days. The remote location combined with lack of road meant that she could not even make it back in time when her father passed away. 

But with the new road that connects to Bajura, she is able to travel with ease.

Since ancient times, Bajhang and Bajura districts have been joined by religious, cultural, economic, and social ties, but this road is the first to join the two districts. More than 10,000 hailing from Bajura have settled in Bajhang through marriage and vice versa. 

With the new road in place, more than 300 officers at different offices in Bajura are now finding it easier to travel to Bajhang. The people in Bajura now have easy access to health facilities in Bajhang. 

“It used to be cumbersome if someone got sick. Some would even die on the way to the hospital. The new road has allowed vehicles to reach the area quickly and patients can be transported swiftly for treatment,” said the Chairman of Channa Village Municipality.

The 71km-long road has connected the headquarters of both districts. The distance of Bajhang’s headquarters in Chainpur to the border area of Thamlek is about 31 km and from Thamlek to Martadi is around 40km.

Locals of both districts are jubilant as they no longer have to carry items such as produce and consumables on their backs before reaching each other’s districts.

Paradevi Bhudha who has made the ardous trip to Bajhang from Bajura recalls, “Since the time of our grandparents, we had to subsist on carrying backbreaking sacks. Now, the problem has been solved with the new road”. 

Business activities have also soared. Tourist activities near the border Thamlek and the lake adjoining Bajura Chededaha have increased. Residents from Dogadi, Bajura are now able to travel to Chainpur to sell their produce ranging from potatoes, choto (special kind of radish grown in the Far Western and Mid Western region), crafts made from bamboo, said Bambahadur Shahi of Khaptad Chededaha Village Municipality in Bajura.

“After this road came in fruition, travellers from Rara, Kahptad and Ramarosan 

tourist corridors have increased markedly,” said Prem Bahadur Singh, a businessman in Thamlek. 

The number of hotels have also increased in Thamlek, he said.