While over 1,000 locals have directly benefited from the 1,767 km highway, the price of real estate has soared and a significant boom has been witnessed in the business sector of over dozen business centres, including Simli, Chinabagar, Githakot, Rukumkot, and Mahat, to name a few.

Ushering in a change in their lifestyle, the highway has opened up new vistas while helping locals become independent. With the movement of vehicles along the route, a single woman, Maina KC of Simli-1, has turned her life around within a period of one year. KC, who had started out her business by setting up a tea shop along the highway, owns a restaurant at the same place now. With a decent monthly earning of Rs 30,000 , KC has also been able to provide employment to three others. Likewise, agricultural products of local Surbarna Pun of Purtimkada-1 has found a market in Chaurjahari bazaar: about 30 kilograms of the product is transported to Chaurjahari on a daily basis. Similarly, thanks to the highway, locals from Purtimakanda, Chibang, Simli, and Bijeshwori VDCs have been able to transport more than a quintal of fish to various districts, including Nepalgunj, Dang and Kathmandu on a daily basis.

“Over 1,000 locals have found employment in various construction activities along the 125 km stretch of the Mid-Hill Highway in Rukum,” said project engineer Krishna Malla of the Mid-Hill Highway in the Western Section.

Sahadev Prasad Humagain, senior officer at the District Agricultural Development Office (DADO), Rukum said that the number of locals opting for commercial farming of agricultural products and fruits in the district has increased considerably. According to DADO, 2,500 locals have taken up commercial farming over the past few years. “More than 300 shops and restaurants have been established in many VDCs of the district over the past year,” said chairperson Tek Bahadur Pun of District Chamber of Commerce, adding that the office registered at least 20 various types of businesses in VDCs connected by the Highway.  

The Mid-Hill highway has connected 12 VDCs, including Bijeshwori, Purtimkanda, Simli, Chibang, Khalanga, Sankh, Rukumkot, Kakri, Taksera and others.

Stating that Rs 150 million would be spent for various constructional purposes in the district during the current fiscal year, Balaram Mishra, project chief of the Mid-Hill Highway (West) said that they have aimed to complete construction of bridges and road widening work within the present fiscal year and would also start gravelling Chaurjahari-Musikot road section and cover it with blacktop within the next