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🇳🇵 Nepal /Economy & Trade

Baglung’s proposed industrial village remains stalled seven years on

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Baglung Municipality's plan for an industrial village, announced seven years ago, remains stalled due to a lack of essential infrastructure like road access, electricity, and security.
  • The project, intended to foster industrial growth, has seen little progress, with a significant portion of the allocated land eroded by the Kaligandaki river and a construction company operating a crusher plant on the site instead of building the road.
  • Locals express disappointment over the lack of action, noting that the industrial village has been reduced to attractive slogans without substantial work, while industries in the main market contribute to pollution and congestion.

Seven years ago, Baglung Municipality announced an ambitious plan to establish an industrial village in Kalakhola, a project envisioned to be a cornerstone of the Gandaki Province's industrial development strategy. The municipality allocated 86 ropanis of land, promising a hub for growth and employment. However, the reality on the ground paints a starkly different picture. Today, the project is virtually defunct, a victim of bureaucratic inertia and a severe lack of basic infrastructure – namely, road access, electricity, and security.

The municipality only gave attractive slogans about the industrial village, but nobody actually worked on it.

· a local residentExpressing disappointment over the lack of progress on the industrial village project.

The situation is further compounded by environmental degradation. The Kaligandaki river, a powerful force of nature, has already claimed over a third of the allocated land through erosion. This natural threat has been exacerbated by unchecked riverbed material extraction, a practice that continues despite a Supreme Court ban. The altered river course now directly threatens the remaining land, a stark reminder of the municipality's failure to implement protective measures.

Adding insult to injury, the land intended for industrial development is currently occupied by Bidari Construction, the company responsible for the Kaligandaki Corridor road. This company operates a crusher plant on the site, having missed its own contract deadline for the road project by over a year. This blatant disregard for the original plan highlights a systemic failure to hold contractors accountable and prioritize the municipality's development goals.

Hotels and furniture industries are operating side by side in the market area. Dust and noise from these industries make it difficult for tourists to stay.

· Kumar Bikram ChhetriDescribing the negative impact of unmanaged industries in Baglung bazaar.

Locals, who once championed the industrial village as a beacon of progress, now feel abandoned. The current local government, despite marking four years in office, has offered no concrete plans or mention of the stalled project during its recent celebrations. This silence speaks volumes about the project's low priority. Meanwhile, Baglung bazaar suffers from disorderly industrial activities, with workshops and garages encroaching on market areas, contributing to pollution and congestion. The proposed industrial village, if ever realized, could alleviate these issues, but its current state of neglect leaves residents questioning the commitment of their elected officials to genuine development.

If such industries can be relocated to the industrial village, the town

· Kumar Bikram ChhetriSuggesting the potential benefit of the industrial village for managing urban industries.
About this summary

Originally published by Kathmandu Post. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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