Construction works are still ongoing in the local units of Myagdi district despite the ongoing nationwide lockdown enforced by the government to prevent the spread of Covid-19. After a chunk of the labourers left the construction sites following the government decision, the local units have urged the workers to return to work.

The district’s Covid-19 Control District Command Post has provided the remaining workers with masks and sanitisers, and asked them to adopt preventive measures and maintain social distancing while at work.

“With proper preventive measures in place, we have granted permission for the projects to continue work,” said CDO Gyannath Dhakal. “We have ordered the construction entrepreneurs to manage lodging and food for all workers.”

Among the projects that have resumed work are the Beni Embankment Project, carried out to protect the city from floods, and a few hydropower projects. Twenty-four workers are currently at work in the embankment project while 35 are working on the construction of the district hospital.

“With the rainy season nearing, it would be imprudent to abandon the embankment project,” Nischhal Paudel, an engineer with the Khadka Krishna Construction, said. “The work must go on.”

Likewise, a total of 699 workers, including 551 Indian nationals, are currently working at the 42MW Raghuganga Hydro Project, while hundreds of workers are at work in hydro projects such as Mistrikhola, Nilgiri, and Gharkhola, among others.

“There was a lot of uncertainty in the first week of the lockdown,” Kabindra Sharma, an official with Gharkhola project, said. “But we have been continuing work with proper safety measures.”

The local units have continued infrastructure work, such as drinking water projects and dam projects to prevent landslides, while restricting the movement of people across wards.

“We have made it mandatory for returnees to stay in quarantine and for the residents to use masks and sanitisers,” Govinda Sunar, an administrative officer with Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality, said. “We have stopped programmes that involve mass gatherings but have continued infrastructure projects.”

In Rasuwa, the construction of Galchhi-Trishuli-Mailung road, dubbed a national pride project, has also continued. The road has been divided into three sections; the first section, which is 46km long, is currently under construction, according to project chief Narayan Dutta Bhandari.

While some of the workers from India have left for their native country following the coronavirus pandemic, about 100 Indian workers are currently at work, Bhandari said.

“We are focusing on building bridges now,” he said, adding that the workers have maintained precautions to avoid contracting Covid-19. “Almost sixty percent of the first section of the road is complete.”

The road, which charts from Galchhi to Rasuwagadhi, once completed will be the shortest route that connects Kathmandu to China.

Balaram Ghimire from Rasuwa contributed reporting.