Citizens have hailed the opening of the Tamor Corridor Track (TCT) that will now be the shortest route to the hills and Tarai region.

The TCT comes under the north-south highway project. It connects the north from Tibet, China, to Jogbani, India in the south via Dhankuta, Panchthar, Taplejung and Tehrathum, the eastern hilly districts, according to a Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS) report Monday.

The operation of a 52-kilometer corridor’s section from Mulghat in Dhankuta to Sawakhola in Panchthar benefits citizens in many ways. “It reduces travel time and makes movement of local agricultural produce to market easy,” said resident Narendra Yakhya.

Other people residing near the bank of Tamor River in Dhankuta said vehicles now pass near their settlement which they had never imagined earlier.

Vehicles have already started moving across the corridor stretching from Phidim Bazaar, Panchthar to Mulghat, Dhanukuta giving relief to people residing in these places.

Many vehicles en route to Panchthar district headquarters Phidim from various Tarai districts and vice-versa are seen regularly on the corridor these days. A hotel business has started along the corridor with the operation of track.

Over three dozens of small hotels are already doing business there along the corridor, said a hotel owner from the area.

TCT Project Chief Kuber Nepali has said work is in progress to complete the corridor that would link Mulghat with Tibet, China via Majhitar, Panchthar, Suketar and Olangchunggola, Taplejung. Suwang, Panchthar and Chatara, Sunsari will be linked by a 140-km route and the contract agreement for this is likely to be signed within a month, the RSS report said.

The Mulghat (Dhankuta)-Tibet section will have the total length of 18o km, while the section stretching from Ranibhansar in Morang to Tibet via Taplejung will be 270 km long.