In a significant move to jumpstart stalled infrastructure, the Nepal government has officially handed over the construction of the 35-kilometer Lasikyap-Sisaul road section to the Nepali Army. This strategic stretch is the final hurdle in completing the Bheri Corridor, a 317-kilometer artery intended to connect the Indian border at Jamunaha to the Tibetan border.
Physical Infrastructure and Transport Minister Madhav Chaulagain confirmed the Cabinet decision, noting that private contractors had repeatedly abandoned the project due to the “extreme technical complexities” of the terrain, which includes vertical cliffs and hard rock. The Army, which successfully opened the Jajarkot-Dunai track in 2018, is expected to expedite the project. Once finished, the corridor is predicted to transform the socio-economic landscape of Karnali Province by boosting Himalayan tourism and trade.
Agricultural Crisis in the South
While the mountain regions look toward new connectivity, the Tarai plains are reeling from a different kind of challenge. Powerful pre-monsoon storms, characterized by high-velocity winds and heavy hailstorms, swept through the Koshi and Madhes provinces on Monday and Tuesday.
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Crop Destruction: In Sarlahi and Sunsari, the storms flattened nearly 12,500 hectares of hybrid maize. Farmers reported that the crop, which was in the critical tasseling and ear-formation stage, was ruined in “just 10 minutes.”
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Casualties & Infrastructure: The weather claimed at least two lives in Udayapur when falling trees crushed residential structures. In districts like Ilam and Khotang, roofs were blown off more than 60 houses and school buildings.
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Utility Disruptions: Massive power outages persist across the eastern Tarai after the storm brought down 33 kVA transmission lines and multiple electricity poles.
The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM) attributed the activity to a western low-pressure system. While the rain briefly cleared the “unhealthy” air pollution levels in Kathmandu, agricultural experts warn that the loss to the “food basket” of Nepal could lead to a spike in local food inflation in the coming months.