Two decades on, road to China border remains unfinished in Mugu

For Sanduk Tamang, a 56-year-old resident of Mugu district in Nepal, the journey to the district headquarters is a grueling two-day trek. Reaching the Chinese border, however, takes just one day. Yet, with the border crossing closed and no motorable road connecting his village to the rest of the district, Tamang and thousands like him are forced to navigate treacherous mountain trails to procure food and daily necessities.

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We are forced to travel to the headquarters risking our lives on treacherous mountain paths. Without a road, there is no alternative but to use mules to transport goods.

"We are forced to travel to the headquarters risking our lives on treacherous mountain paths. Without a road, there is no alternative but to use mules to transport goods," Tamang said. He added that a completed road from Gamgadhi to his village would eliminate exorbitant transport costs for food. The region's harsh climate and lack of irrigation permit only one annual crop of naked barley, which lasts less than three months, leaving residents dependent on imported food for the majority of the year.

Tashi Lama, from Mugu village, expressed long-held hopes for a road connection to China to alleviate their hardships. "We were told years ago that a road would connect us to China. If vehicles could finally reach our village, life would become much easier," he said. The Gamgadhi-Nakche Nangla road, envisioned as a vital link between Karnali Province and the Chinese border, has been stalled since construction began in February 2007. Despite the plan for a 68-kilometer route, only 18 kilometers have been completed from Gamgadhi to Chhail, leaving the remaining 50 kilometers unbuilt due to insufficient funding.

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If the road from Gamgadhi to our villages were completed, we would no longer have to pay exorbitant transport costs for food.

Chhiring Kyapne Lama, chairman of Mugum Karmarong Rural Municipality, highlighted the road's strategic importance as the shortest route connecting Karnali to China. He noted that communities have maintained trading ties with Tibetans since 1915, but the absence of road infrastructure has hindered commercial expansion. "If the road is built, one could travel from Hyajimar to Lhasa by vehicle in just two to three hours," he stated. "A motorable road up to the border point would significantly boost trade between Nepal and China."

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We were told years ago that a road would connect us to China. If vehicles could finally reach our village, life would become much easier.

Dhanargolbu Lama, a resident of Kimri, described the daily struggle for villagers in areas like Kimri, Karti, and Mugu, who must walk at least a day and a half to reach the nearest road access. The lack of road access inflates the cost of basic goods; a 30-kilogram sack of rice, transported by pack animals, costs around Rs6,000 in the villages, compared to Rs2,200-Rs2,500 in Gamgadhi, with transport alone costing approximately Rs100 per kilogram.

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If the road is built, one could travel from Hyajimar to Lhasa by vehicle in just two to three hours.