Three-Month Closure Ends as Martadi-Kolti Road Reopens in Bajura

Bajura: The Martadi-Kolti road, which had been blocked for three months, has resumed operation.

With the road back in service, transportation of apples produced in the district’s northeastern region has become easier. Previously, when the road was blocked, farmers had to carry apples on their backs to reach the market. Now, they can conveniently transport their produce to the district headquarters by vehicle.

Farmers in the upper regions, including Pandusain, had faced difficulties transporting their apple harvests to market since the second week of Asar, when the road was obstructed following the onset of the monsoon. Due to the blockage, some farmers even had to transport their apples via the Karnali Corridor to cities as far away as Nepalgunj and Dhangadhi.

Some farmers from Swamikartik Khapar Rural Municipality had transported their apples to Dhangadhi. Apple farmer Ujjal Rawat stated that with the road now operational, transporting apples to the district headquarters has become convenient.

He noted that the ability to transport apples directly from the orchards to Martadi by vehicle has saved both time and labor. Currently, apples transported from the orchards are being sold in the Martadi market at prices ranging from Rs 130 to Rs 200 per kilogram.

Apples produced in the Pandusain area are sold in local markets as well as in other districts. Despite significant apple production across various parts of the district recently, farmers are facing difficulties due to the lack of adequate roads for transportation to markets and cold storage facilities.

According to the Agriculture Knowledge Center in Bajura, apple cultivation is being carried out on approximately 375 hectares of land across Budhinanda Municipality and the rural municipalities of Jagannath, Swami Kartik Khapar, and Himali.

Last year, the district produced 1,022 metric tons of apples. Harish Bahadur Bista, Chief of the Agriculture Knowledge Center, stated that although apple production has increased this year and a subsidy program for transportation was planned, delays in passing the provincial government’s budget have created complications.

Amar Bahadur Khadka, Mayor of Badimalika Municipality, noted that the resumption of the Martadi-Kolti road section after a long closure has facilitated both the movement of local residents and the transportation of agricultural produce.

Chief District Officer Dorendra Niraula informed that the road was brought back into operation following repairs carried out using a Badimalika Municipality JCB, in coordination with the Infrastructure Development Office in Achham.

The road had been completely blocked due to landslides triggered by rainfall and rising water levels in streams at various locations. The disruption of transport services caused significant hardship for residents traveling to and from four municipalities in the district’s eastern and northern regions, as well as neighboring districts such as Humla and Mugu.

According to local resident Dal Rokaya, the annual road blockages forced travelers to switch vehicles three times and pay fares of up to Rs 2,000 to travel from Martadi to Kolti.

Road disruptions during the monsoon season occur primarily due to the absence of bridges over the Bauli and Rajatoli rivers. The Martadi-Kolti road section, the foundation stone of which was laid approximately 27 years ago, has yet to be upgraded to the prescribed standards.

Delays in the blacktopping and upgrading of this road, which is part of the government’s multi-year plan, have resulted in recurring disruptions during the monsoon season each year.