I was walking on the road of Kathmandu, when this incident happened. A scooter coming from other side fell down all of a sudden. I went there to help the man and I knew the reason. It fell because of the ditch on the road. Though that ditch wasn’t so huge, it could have caused serious damage. After confirming the wellness of the man, I returned home. On the very day I saw another incident. Despite of heavy traffic on the road, workers were blacktopping. Construction and heavy traffics were parallel. I was wondered.
Roads in Kathmandu valley, full of gravels, crumbling edges, puddles and smoke are not traffic worthy completely. Moreover, improper widening of roads has added more difficulty. Research say, one of the major causes of road accidents is the poor condition of roads. Riders may not see smaller ditches from a distance and when it comes suddenly, accidents occur. Ditches on the roads which are random and unnecessary, disturbances from the under- construction roads and excessive roughness are taking the lives of many people.
According to the recent report by the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transportation, 9500 ditches on the roads are cleaned now under the 100 days of minister’s tenure. Moreover, the report says 27 km of the roads are blacktopped. Yet, the problem is not fully solved. It is a pity that all the above listed tasks were completed in rush at last hour. Ditches were covered and roads were blacktopped overnight. What a hurry? Can ministry guarantee the sustainability? It is yet to be answered.
However, despite all the flaws, we can not deny some of the significant works of the ministry. Maintained traffic lights in different areas and newly constructed Foot Over Bridges are praiseworthy. Plans of the ministry according to the report, if implemented properly, can bring a positive change in the traffic management of Kathmandu Valley. But, it is witty to improve the condition of the roads at first rather than construct the new ones.
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