Kathmandu. Preparations are underway to open the Nagdhunga-Sisnekhola tunnel way, the first commercial tunnel way of the country, by coming August.

Chief of the Nagdhunga-Sisnekhola Tunnel Way Project, Saujanya Nepal, said that preparation has been made to bring the tunnel way into operation by the third week of July after making necessary preparations. According to him, technical works including training are being carried out by signing an agreement with the company collecting fees from the vehicles passing through the tunnel.

“All preparatory works for the operation of the tunnel way are underway. We are working to bring the project into operation as soon as possible,” said Project Chief Nepal. He said that the company has been making necessary preparations to collect toll fee on what kind of work to be carried out for rescue purpose inside the tunnel, what to do in case of emergency and what is the condition of ‘light’ and ‘ventilation’.

As many as 150 employees have been recruited to operate the tunnel round the clock. These employees will be mobilized on a shift basis. In today’s meeting of the National Assembly’s Public Policy and Delegated Legislation Committee, project chief Nepal said that the project has made 99.5 per cent physical progress and 96 per cent financial progress.

Earlier, a formal agreement has been signed between the project and service provider Usin-ART JV for the operation and management of the tunnel. The service provider company has been formally given the responsibility to operate and repair the tunnel way for the next five years. The service provider responsible for operation and maintenance of tunnel way has to carry out regular maintenance and maintenance of civil structures, mechanical, electrical and safety systems inside the tunnel.

With the operation of the tunnel, passengers and goods vehicles will be relieved from long and winding roads. The length of the main tunnel is 2,688 metres, according to the project office. The total length of the emergency tunnel is 2,557 metres, according to Project Chief Nepal. It is estimated that around eight thousand vehicles travel through the tunnel on a daily basis.

Toll charges worth Rs 350 million will be collected annually if 8,000 vehicles ply through the tunnel on a daily basis. An annual amount of Rs 220 million has to be provided to the service provider. This is equivalent to Rs 1.10 billion for five years.

Special technical equipment has been installed to collect the fee. The amount will be deposited in the account of the Road Board Nepal. The government will provide it to the service provider.

Lawmakers Gopal Basnet, Madan Kumari Shah (Garima), Ranjit Karna, Chandra Bahadur KC, Padam Pariyar, Yubaraj Sharma, Mina Singh Rakhal, Rukmini Koirala, Sunil Thapa, Goma Devi Timilsina, Somnath Portel and Nar Bahadur Bista expressed concern over the delay in the operation of the tunnel way.

Stating that they were ready to give direction to the government on behalf of the committee, they suggested not to delay in the operation of the already completed projects.

The lawmakers have also demanded the government to make necessary preparations so that the skills gained during the construction of the tunnel way can be used in other projects as well, and to respect the skills and capacity of skilled and semi-skilled workers. They stressed the need of bringing the tunnel way into operation at the earliest as it has already been completed although there has been delay in the construction of the tunnel way due to COVID-19 and natural disasters.