The work of an aerial survey of the much-discussed Kerung-Kathmandu railway has been stuck after reaching the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation under the Ministry of Forests and Environment.
The work on the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of this trans-national railway started last November with the help of China. The Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, and the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation have already given consent to it. However, the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Department has not given the permission despite requests.
Nepal included the Kerung-Kathmandu railway in China's BRI (Belt and Road Initiative) and made it the main agenda of the meeting when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Nepal in 2019. Since then, following the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese technical team started the work of DPR since last November.
Although the Chinese technical team has been trying to survey the park area since last February, they have not yet been able to do so.
There is a provision to obtain permission from the Ministry of Forests and Environment in accordance with the guidelines for the construction of wildlife-friendly infrastructure while starting development work in the park area. A senior engineer at the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport informed that the Forests Ministry is reluctant to grant permission for the location survey even though the process started last February.
The engineer said that the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Department is delaying the process even when the four ministries jointly agreed and demanded survey permission.
"Although there was an agreement to complete the survey work 42 months after it started, it is likely to be delayed due to the Nepal government,'' he said.
Although the survey work is being done in Kathmandu, Rasuwa and Nuwakot areas where the railway is located, only the survey work to be done inside the park has not gained momentum. However, Langtang National Park in Rasuwa has already given permission for the survey, according to the Department of Railways.
Last March, during the visit of Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Nepal, it was agreed to study the feasibility of operating an international train service. According to the agreement, now it seems that the Chinese technical team is advancing the survey work at a fast pace. A pre-feasibility study on the Kerung-Kathmandu railway had been completed in 2018.
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' is preparing to visit China in the last week of September. During his visit to Beijing, when asked whether there will be a concrete agreement on the Kerung-Kathmandu railway, Prime Minister Dahal's press adviser Govinda Archaya said that no decision has been made on the matter.
He said, "The main agenda is to implement the agreements reached during Chinese President Xi's visit to Nepal." Ministries are mulling what other agendas can be agreed upon. The agendas have not been decided yet."
PM Dahal emphasized energy and road connectivity during his visit to China. Like former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, he seems to have adopted a policy of requesting China to build various projects with grants.
He has already said that he will request the Chinese government to build two international transmission lines with grants from Ratamate-Kerung in Nuwakot and Kimathangka in Sankhuwasabha. In addition, it has been mentioned that they are preparing to discuss with China the construction of a road connecting Hilsa to Mansarovar through Karnali Corridor in West, Korala Pass of Mustang through Kaligandaki Corridor in the Central West, and Arun River to Kimathanga through Koshi Corridor.
Dahal has publicly stated that the Upper Arun hydropower project on the border with China can also be requested to be built with a subsidy from China.
Besides, Nepal is also preparing to request China for the construction of Bir Hospital with a medical facility in Duwakot of Bhaktapur, it is learned.
