The Sindhuli Road, a 160 km highway in Nepal, was constructed with grant aid assistance from the Government of Japan to connect Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, to the Terai plain leading to India. Its purpose was to reduce travel times, establish a reliable transportation route for goods, and enhance the stability of logistics and industrial development, while also improving the lives of those living along the road. It took almost 20 years to complete, beginning in November 1996 and ending in March 2015.
This grant aid project has several remarkable features, which are worth noting in the JSCE archive. First, it is the only project that involved the construction of an entirely new road in a Nepalese hill area where no road existed before. Second, it is one of the largest grant aid projects supported by the Japanese ODA, with a total commitment of approximately 26 billion yen. Third, construction sites faced significant challenges, including security threats posed by insurgency and the risk of natural disasters, such as frequent large-scale floods and landslides. Despite these challenges, the project was completed in about 30 years, from the initial survey in 1983 to the final construction work.
The idea for the Sindhuli Road was first proposed during the Cold War era in the Kathmandu–Janakapur Road Plan report, which was supported by the United States and India as a way to counter the influence of the Soviet Union and China. In the 1970s, an Italian consulting firm also developed a road plan from Sindhuli Bazar to Dhulikhel, but it was never implemented.
In the 1980s, Japan provided heavy machinery for road construction to Nepal, to improve the livelihoods of local citizens by enabling the transportation of fruits and vegetables produced in the mountains. In 1983, the Infrastructure Development Institute Japan conducted a survey for the construction of the Sindhuli Road, and in 1985, the Government of Nepal officially requested the Government of Japan to conduct a feasibility survey for the project plan.
Despite challenges such as the deterioration of relations between India and Nepal and the democratization movement in Nepal, an Exchange of Notes on grant aid for road construction was finally signed in 1995, 10 years after the initial request. The Sindhuli Road was divided into four sections and constructed over nearly 20 years, with its completion in March 2015. Overall, the road project had significant socio-economic impacts on Nepal and contributed to capacity building in the civil engineering and construction industries in Nepal through various trainings and opportunities for local individuals and companies.
The project was designed to optimize cost-effectiveness by using local materials and technology suitable for Nepalese conditions, while also considering the risk of landslides. The project had a significant socio-economic impact on Nepal, contributing significantly to the capacity building of individuals and companies in the civil engineering and construction industries by providing training and job opportunities.
The Sindhuli Road project in Nepal is an example of cost-effective technology adoption in a local context. The project aimed to make use of locally available resources and labor while paying attention to slope protection and drainage systems. This led to the adoption of construction methods such as gabion retaining walls and geotextile reinforced walls that made use of stones and soil excavated from the site. Japanese construction companies were consistently engaged in the project, and their passion, dedication, and sense of responsibility helped to overcome challenges such as the risk of damage caused by natural disasters and safety management during the civil war. Some key Nepalese individuals played important roles, such as Mr. Bindu Shamser Rana, who served as project manager for the first 15 years of the construction period. Training of staff in the Department of Roads was also carried out through JICA's technical cooperation and training programs. The project had a significant impact on the growth and prosperity of Nepal, with many Nepalese who were trained through work on the Sindhuli Road now bearing the responsibility of efforts for the country's growth. The project is a symbol of the friendship between Nepal and Japan, and it paved the way for other similar projects in the country.
A thorough Environmental Impact Assessment was carried out for the first time after the implementation of the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) during the initial design of section II Sindhulibazar Khurkot section. The locals were consulted extensively regarding various environmental concerns, and their issues were addressed appropriately. Additionally, several methods for slope stabilization were employed, such as retaining and breast walls, crib works, gabion works, geotextiles, and a unique bio-engineering approach that involved planting locally available trees, shrubs, and turf, as well as using a soil seeding method imported from Japan. Although this technique was initially expensive due to the importation of materials from Japan, efforts were made to use locally available materials to make them more affordable for widespread use in Nepal.
The Sindhuli Road project is designed to cross the Mahabharat Range, which has mountain elevations of 2,000-2,500 meters and steep terrain with fragile soil in a subtropical region. The road is divided into four sections for step-wise construction and is classified as National Highway No.6 (also nominated as an Asian Highway). The project is carried out with several main concepts, including ensuring smooth and safe traffic operation, minimizing the impact on the environment, and transferring the technology concerning disaster prevention of roads through construction. The road is designed to be environmentally friendly and sustainable by minimizing road structures and utilizing locally available materials. This includes using adequate slope protection and drainage to reduce maintenance costs and avoid impacting potential hazards. The road structures, such as retaining walls, vegetation, and slope protection, are designed to minimize construction costs and contribute to the local community through increased employment.
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