Solar lights installed along the Bhedetar–Sidhuwa section of the Koshi Highway have become non-functional.

The lights, placed at bends and road edges, have stopped working in many locations. These solar systems were designed to charge during the day and illuminate the road at night, helping drivers identify curves and the edge of the highway. They were installed along key stretches, including Mulghat, Rudrabari, Dhankuta Bazaar and Hile, by the Division Road Office.

However, many of the lights have been vandalised, broken or rendered unusable. Several installations have been damaged, while some have been destroyed.

Ramesh Kumar Goit, information officer at the Division Road Office in Dhankuta, said most of the solar lights installed at accident-prone curves have been damaged.

“The solar system is not very durable for roads. It works only for a few months and then stops functioning,” he claimed. “After road maintenance is completed, we will install a more reliable lighting system.”

The solar lights were installed across approximately 60 kilometres of the Bhedetar–Sidhuwa section to guide drivers in foggy and dark conditions. They were intended to improve safety on narrow roads, cliffside stretches and sharp bends.

Local drivers say the absence of these lights has made night driving more dangerous. Gyelgen Sherpa, a truck driver from Sankhuwasabha on the Dharan–Dhankuta road, said the lack of solar lights and traffic signs has increased the risk of accidents. He said the lights earlier helped in driving during fog, but now they are no longer visible.

Similarly, Manoj Chamling Rai, a driver from Dhankuta, said the lack of road boundary signals increases the risk of vehicles going off the road, especially during thick fog.

Not only solar lights, but also traffic mirrors, warning boards and other signage at bends, junctions and crossroads are in poor condition. Many mirrors are broken, boards are torn, and signs are unclear, said motorcycle rider Bhuvan Khatiwada.

Over the past three fiscal years, 19 cases related to traffic accidents have been registered in Dhankuta. During the same period, 27 people lost their lives in road accidents, according to Superintendent of Police Sharat Kumar Thapa Chhetri.

He said 19 people have been arrested in connection with these cases during fiscal years 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26.

Thapa Chhetri said poor or damaged warning signs contribute to negligence among drivers. “The police have done their duty, but accident risk management cannot be handled by the police alone,” he said.