Impact of road extension project on the residents of ktm

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1. Background of the StudyApex College affiliated to Pokhara University board has given chance to the students of

BBA-BI to conduct research on various topics through the subject called “Semester

Project”. The summer project instructor has authorized the research report to the BBA-

BI student with the aim to develop students’ capability to conduct small research

projects, write effective research report and communicate the findings. So I choose the

topic titled “Impact of Road Extension Project on the Residents of Kathmandu”.

Nepal is a developing country facing major problems in its effort to make progress. The

country's slow economic growth rate has tremendously affected the living condition of

the people. Due to low performance level of the economy, the per capita income is also very low US$

721 per annum in 2012/2013. As a result, poverty is increasing. The economic growth rate

increased slowly only from mid-80's to mid-90's registering 3.9% during 1986 to 1990 and

4.7 during 1991-1994. It declined again to 3.9%. The Ninth Plan achieved only 4.4% growth rate

against the target of 6.0%. Nepal is a least developed country with the Gross Domestic

Product (GDP) Per capita income of $1300(2012) and is one of the poorest countries in

the world. One of the major challenges for Government is to provide an appropriate

level of infrastructure including roads. The infrastructure of Kathmandu, which is the

capital of Nepal, is gradually being degraded by traffic jams, bottle necks, single lanes,

congestion and narrow road with houses encroaching on the both sides without any

space for expansion. Along with rise in population, the Kathmandu Valley has seen

considerable growth in the number of private and public vehicles.

As a result, people have been facing a number of problems; poor traffic management,

pedestrians´ increased vulnerability to accidents, air pollution, etc. To address the

problems linked to poor traffic management, the government has decided to widen the

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roads of the city. The current road extension program was initiated since November

2011 A.D. and is still in process. At first, this project was proposed in late 1970s but

there were never enough political will and it was also not given too much of attention.

Moreover, it was not enacted at that time since many would lose their private property.

After 40 years, it was again instituted but this time it was organized by Prime Minister

Baburam Bhattarai and it has been plugging along since his resignation. This expansion

has been launched with the combined support of the government, Road Department of

Nepal and Kathmandu Valley Town Development Committee (KVTDC).

Further, our neighboring country China has also given some grant to Nepal. For the first

time in many years, Traffic, Urban Development, Municipality and Road Department are

working in close coordination. Till now some 200 meters road has fallen under expansion

drive in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur. KVTDC in collaboration with Metropolitan

Traffic Police Division (MTPD) has been demolishing roadside structures constructed

illegally as well as those which have not been constructed illegally providing them with

appropriate compensation. Notices to vacant the space is given beforehand in order to

avoid complaints from the local people. BhaiKaji Tiwari, Chief Urban Planner of

Kathmandu Valley says, “Kathmandu will be different now and there is no stopping it.

After all these years it has gained momentum and will continue until it is completed.” Till

now, the government has done little to manage the expansion of the city but has finally

decided to sit up and take notice and seems to be making plans to tackle this grave issue.

Since Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal, this place has to be provided with proper road

system. In order to achieve this objective, current road extension program has been

initiated. Along with the advantages in the long run people are also facing some of the

negative impacts.

1.2. Statement of the problemNepal is an under developed country which lacks proper infrastructures. One of the main

infrastructures to enhance the beauty of this landlocked country is to provide it with

proper road system. The important strategic road networks (SRN) in Kathmandu valley

has been frequently suffering from traffic congesting problem. The rapidly growing

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traffic volume is ultimately beyond the capacity of the two small lane roads in

Kathmandu valley. Government of Nepal has been allotting fund to widen such an

important SRN from two lanes to four or more lane or just to widen the existing two

lanes in Kathmandu valley. The project "Kathmandu Valley Road Improvement Project

(KVRIP)" has started in September 2007 to work extensively in these SRN. The goal of

this research project is to practically examine and extend our knowledge on the present

road extension project of Kathmandu. More importantly, it focuses on how the people of

Kathmandu are being affected due this road extension i.e. either they are being benefitted

or they are facing problems due to this. The key aspect is to analyze the variables and

relationship among them which is related to impact of this extension on the resident of

Kathmandu.

This study tries to find the solution of the following problems:

What are the main impacts of road extension project on the different groups of

residents of Kathmandu?

What is the main reason behind this extending road?

Are the people suffering or getting benefits from this project?

Is the plan being properly implemented? How / Why not?

How long will it take to accomplish this program?

What may be the future perspective of the project?

1.3. ObjectivesThe primary objective of this study is partial fulfillment of the degree of Bachelor of

Business Administration (BBA) of Pokhara University. Following are the secondary

objectives of this report:

To analyze the direct impact of the ongoing road extension project on the general

people of Kathmandu.

To find the need for this long term plan

To share the main cause of delay

To share more new updates of this long term plan.

To find how people are feeling regarding the different aspects of this project.

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1.4. Significance of the studyThe valley underwent rapid urbanization and unplanned development due to improper

planning and lack of implementation of urban development programs. Due to this,

KVTDC has come up with a long-term development concept that ensures planned

development of the city by extending road. But there are only a few authentic and

comprehensive research studies in this field. The limited number of studies has provided

very important information, but the information is not sufficient enough to plan feasible

program to enhance this development program. This study highlights and tries to

publicize the main impacts of this developmental work on the residents of Kathmandu

and reason of extension of road in Kathmandu so that concerned individuals and

organizations may benefit with additional and accurate information in this area. This

report will help the people who are totally unaware this large-scale road-widening project

across Nepal’s capital city of Kathmandu, one of the most seismically active cities in the

world. It also provides the current issues which are of great interest to the local residents.

Furthermore, though the Government is striving for the development of the country and

for the welfare of the people through this project, the people are not willing to accept and

support this act of Government. Hence, this report also focuses on the main reasons of the

people for doing so and how the protest has affected the construction.

1.5. Limitation of the studyWhile doing my report, I faced certain limitations which are as follows:

This study does not give accurate information for all time basis as the behaviors

of the people may change during time.

This research covers only specific area of Kathmandu, so the result may not be

applicable to all the residents.

The research is relates to the whole population of Kathmandu. But it is not

possible to know the views of each individual so the sample size is limited to only

30.

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Since the study is conducted for the partial fulfillment for the Bachelor’s degree

and the researcher is a student, time and money are the two major constraints of

this study. Because of these constraints, this study has deliberately not included

some of the impacts of the residents of Kathmandu.

1.6. Review of related studies

1.6.1. History of Road in KathmanduThe history of the development of roads in Nepal is not very long. Information available

so far reveals that the first motor able road was constructed in the Kathmandu Valley in

1924.For the first time in the road transport development, a 42 km long all weather gravel

road linking Amlekhganj with Bhimphedi was built in 1929. After the dawn of democracy in 1951, the

need of linking Kathmandu with the Terai was felt quite urgent. The first long distance

road to link Kathmandu with the Terai was taken up in 1953 with the Indian assistance.

This 115 km long road between Thankot of Kathmandu and Bhainse was opened to

traffic in 1956. The decade of 1960-1970 witnessed a considerable expansion of road network with

assistance from some bilateral agencies (Bajracharya&Shrestha, 1981). The Government

of China constructed the Kathmandu-Kodari road in 1966. The Indian Government built the

Sunauli-Pokhara road in 1971 and the Kakarvita-Dhalkebar sector of the East-West Highway in

1972. The USSR helped Nepal to construct the 109 km stretch of the East-West

Highway. British Government built the Butwal-Narayangadh sector of East-West

Highway.Over the years, Nepal has made an impressive development in the road

transport

1.6.2. Need for the Current Road Extension ProjectKathmandu, the capital of Nepal is densely populated. Around 172 people per sq km

reside in Kathmandu. The population of this city stands at three million. It is fast growing

city due to activities centralized here. Living and owning a house in Kathmandu is a

social status. During armed conflict, many people from other parts of the country moved

to the city because it was considered safer than other places. Also due to increase in

opportunities and income generation and the other important facilities available, people

of the city can afford to buy vehicles. Thus this has increased number of vehicles in

Kathmandu. The immediate cause has made the city congested and the existing roads are

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not enough to bear the traffic load. In response, some political leaders decided to widen

the road in the city. The important strategic road networks (SRN) in Kathmandu valley

has been frequently suffering from traffic congesting problem. For the improvement of

the Strategic Road Network, three categories of the improvement activities have been

formulated:

a. Provision of traffic management facilities

b. Widening of roads

c. Upgrading of roads

Widening of the Strategic Road Network is proposed on the basis of normal traffic

forecast and lane capacity of the roads. Road network functions as a catalytic agent to promote

socio-economic activities in other sectors like agriculture, trade and commerce, industries

etc and also plays an important role in poverty reduction. People get employment in

construction and maintenance of the road network. At the same time it also facilitates

other sectors to generate employment in their own areas. This emphasizes the need that

other sectors should also come up with their own program along with the construction of

the road. Employment is one of the main factors contributing to poverty alleviation.

Kathmandu is not connected with modern bulk carrier infrastructures such as the

railway. Thus the only means of transportation in the city is by road but an inadequate

road infrastructure is one of the city’s major problems. So, the Government has

formulated this project for the development of the country as a whole.

1.6.3. Current Situation of the Project

The Kathmandu Valley Town Development Implementation Authority (KVTDIC)

demolished nearly 140km roads in the Kathmandu Valley within one year.One fourth of

Kathmandu roads have already been widened, which is about 33 percent of the 400km

proposed to be widened in the Valley i.e. almost 50 percent of the expansion work has

been completed. However, right now the expansion process considering the fact that

construction and blacktopping of the widened roads have not been able to keep up with

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our expansion drive.From the Interim Election Government chairman, PMO secretary to

chief secretary, all are in the coordination committee, but things are not in good shape

yet. In this process of expanding road in Kathmandu, there is huge budget crisis as the

government grants funds from recurrent expenses. The other problem is the lack of a

master plan to build the city. Presently, there is no proper blueprint of the city.

Governments are using a map designed in 1976. It will cost billions to make a proper

blueprint and the government should be a facilitator in this regard. The authority also lack

an organizational structure, which has made it difficult for coordination between own

staffs. The road extension committee has to set up our own organization and build our

own modality to work properly. According to sources, the other major road stretches to

be expanded soon include Galkopakha to Gongabu, BalajuChowk to Bypass and

Gaurighat to Boudha, which is connecting two heritages together Pashupati and

Boudhanath.

1.6.4. Impact of this projectThis project of road expansion has mixed observation about the development of current

scenario where it has benefits as well as drawbacks. Kathmandu is not just the capital but

also the center for all types of economic and development works. So, this area must be

properly managed and should be provided with appropriate infrastructures. This road

widening is an indication of development because with proper transport road

infrastructure, economic development is possible. It also has a benefit to the pedestrians

as now there is better pass by service to inner and outer roads. Due to this project of

extension, there is improved traffic system where there is proper transportation system

for both pedestrians and vehicles. There is possibility of attracting tourists since they will

be fascinated by the proper road system. Another benefit is that this project is creating

employment opportunities to the poor people. According to the interview done too the

laborers working in this project, on average Rs 500 is given to them per day for their

labor. So, when the people are employed rather doing nothing, it contributes to the

economic development. Also, the people whose houses are destroyed are getting

compensation from the government. This project helps to eliminate the problem of

insufficient parking space in the city. The road system of a country is one of the basic

infrastructures. The development and expansion of roads is a basic requirement for the

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development of a country. The roads generally have two or more lanes, but not the ones

in Nepal.

There is lack of speed in building on what demolished so fast which gives people to

complain more about the pollution and the lack of coordination on the government. The

people whose houses and shops were demolished are still not willing to accept this huge

project which creates inconvenience to the project as a whole. Though the roads are being

expanded, they also could be shortening lives of the people since it may cause respiratory

diseases, allergies, cough, etc. To keep a balance between development and the

environment, there is the provision of an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA).

Moreover, the traditional places having cultural beliefs are also demolished which is

unsatisfactory to people. The destroyed infrastructures are still creating hurdles in public

transportation in many areas. Some people are also homeless and if the people do not

have place to live and work the development cannot happen. Building wider roads will

automatically ease the traffic flow in the short run but in the long run traffic on roads will

increase and the same problems will appear. If roads are to be widened and the number of

vehicles is not to be increased, traffic congestion won’t happen. Looking at the global

trend the private vehicle ownership is increasing day by day. It will be the same in the

case of Nepal. According to the National Society for Earthquake Technology-Nepal

(NSET), 60 percent of all residential buildings in the Nepalese capital are already at risk

of collapse due to faulty construction.

People are angry because there is communication gap and the projects started by the

government are always a failure, we know that. No one should be homeless in the name

of development. If people do not have place to live and work how can development

happen. So in my opinion the government should provide alternative first and then act

and they want clear vision and plans and progress about the project.

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1.6.5. Conceptual Framework

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Age Locality Status Travelling choice

Residents of Kathmandu

Impacts of Road Extension

Positive impact Negative impact

1.6.6. Specification of the variables

Present Road Extension program:

It defines the project which is done to widen the road of Kathmandu. To develop the

country and provide it with the proper road infrastructure, Government and the

associate committee have come all together to develop this project. This project was

stated two years back and still in process of completion.

According to the conceptual framework, following are the input variables:

Age factor:

This variable is the primary input factor in this project. On average, only from the

age of 16 the people can clearly tell their views on the current road extension.

These are the people who can be sampled so that they can tell us what impact they

have on this extension program done by the government.

Locality:Locality plays a vital role on identifying the particular place where the residents

are living and where these people are travelling very often. The particular locality

also shows the recent extension done so far and the progress as well. This variable

is very important as it will define the major construction going and how the

people are being affected i.e. positively or negatively.

Status:

Here the word “status” refers to the current position of the resident. Status shows

whether the particular resident being interviewed is whether a student or

employed or unemployed. This input variable helps us to know how educated

people or uneducated people are more aware about the extension program.

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Type of vehicle :

The residents may use public or private vehicle. The type of vehicle also shows

how the residents are being affected according to the vehicles used. Also some of

the residents may be pedestrian. They can also be the sample as they are the ones

for whom this extension has been done.

The output variables show the main context on how the people are affected due to this

large scale project. They are as follows:

Positive impact:

One of the important variables is the positive impact. This variable shows how the

local residents are getting benefits from the road extension program. It also shows

the possible advantage they may get from the widening of the road in Kathmandu.

It also gives us the explanation about whether the advantage they are getting is for

short run or long run.

Negative impact:

This output variable relates to the disadvantages faced by the people due to this

project. It also shows how the people are handling the negative impact faced by

the residents of Kathmandu. The people who are facing these negative impacts are

on the road protesting. So, this variable gives us the knowledge about how the

government is handling the Complaints of the local residents.

1.7. Research Methodology

1.7.1. Research DesignThis is the survey study on the current project of extending road therefore my report is

more of descriptive in nature. A descriptive research design is used to describe

characteristics of current population or phenomenon being studied.

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1.7.2. Source of DataThe primary sources of the information collected areextracted from the general people

including both high and low class people. To get more information, I also consulted Mr.

BhaikajiTiwari, who is one of the leaders for this current project. The secondary source

of the data for literature review and other finding are based on the articles and journals.

1.7.3. Population and Sample SizeSince this study involves the general residents of Kathmandu, it includes the whole

population of Kathmandu. But it is not possible to know gather information from all these

people. So, altogether 30 samples were selected. I collected the samples from mainly the

residents of Baneshwor and Dillibazar, where heavy construction is going on.

1.7.4. Data Collection ToolsFor the purpose of obtaining the aforementioned objectives of the research, necessary

data and information were collected from primary sources through questionnaire.

Questionnaire forms were prepared which were addressed to the residents of Katmandu

including both the groups mentioned above. This questionnaire covered the acceptance of

the project from thepeople. The questionnaire had checklists and rating scales

1.7.5. Data Analysis Tools:For the purpose of data processing, the appropriate computer software (SPSS) was

extensively used to measure the relationship between the variables. To make the analysis

easier and reliable, data information were presented carefully, scored, edited, and

organized systematically in order to facilitate clear cut description, classification,

tabulation and interpretation where necessary.

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CHAPTER: II

DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

2.1. Data Tabulation and InterpretationIn order to analyze the main impacts of the present road extension project, I used one of

the primary source i.e. Questionnaire. 30 samples were taken for examining the personal

views of the residents in Kathmandu. In this study, variables such as age, locality, status,

type of vehicle, etc. were examined. Most of the data collected were quantitative in

nature and some were qualitative. These data are presented in various forms like tabular,

Bar charts, and pie charts.

2.1.1. Demographic Profile

From the survey conducted, it was found that the residents were different in age. From

age 16 to age 48 were examined during questionnaire. We can say that majority of the

people are in early twenties and early forties. From table1 we can say that the residents

from age 16-20 age group is 8 i.e.26.7% and from age 21-35 is 11 i.e. 36.6% of the

samples. Similarly 11 people surveyed are from age group 36-50 i.e. 36.7%. In table 1

and figure 1 the composition of the people surveyed according to age is summarized as

under:

Table 1 Composition of age

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Age

Frequency Percentage

16-20 8 27%

21-35 11 36.5%

35-50 11 36.5%

Total 30 100%

16-20 21-35 35-500

2

4

6

8

10

12

Age

Frequency

Figure 1 Composition of age

2.1.2. Locality

This variable shows more number of people who are currently living in Kathmandu is

permanent residents of Kathmandu. Only few are the residents from outside the valley

who are here for some or the other purposes. Table 2: Locality of the residents’ shows

that most of the people participated in this survey was from Kathmandu valley. Majority

of the participant have chosen that they are from Kathmandu valley as a local resident

shown in the Figure: 2 below us can see that 86.7% has voted as resident of Kathmandu

valley and 13.3% are out of Kathmandu valley out of 30 total participants.

Locality

Frequency Percentage

Kathmandu valley

26 86.7

Outside the valley

4 13.3

Total 30 100%

Table 2 Locality

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Frequency Percent0

102030405060708090

kathmandu valleyoutside the valley

Figure 2 Locality

2.1.3. Status And Knowledge level

Status includes the knowledge of the people and their current provision. Their status

helps us to analyze their awareness about this large scale project. Table 3 shows that out

of total 30 participants 46.7% were student, 46.6% were employed people and 6.7% were

unemployed people. Their current status helps us to analyze about the knowledge level

they have. Out of total participant most of the people did not know what is going on in

this city, why are the roads being destroyed and why the properties are being damaged.

According to the survey conducted it is seen that from figure 3 that only 26.7% knew

about this project where as 13.3% didn’t knew at all, only 60% knew a little about this

project. Thus, there is communication gap between the government and the people.

Status

Frequency Percentage

Student 14 46.7

Employed 14 46.7

Unemployed 2 6.7

Total 30 100%

Table 3 status of the Residents

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Student Employed Unemployed05

101520253035404550

Status FrequencyStatus Percentage

Figure 3 Statuses of the Residents

Knowledge Level

Frequency Percentage

A lot 8 26.7

Little 18 60.0

No knowledge at all 4 13.3

Total 30 100%

Table 4 Knowledge Level

A lot Little No knowledge at all0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Knowledge Level FrequencyKnowledge Level Per-centage

Figure 4 Knowledge level

2.1.4. Daily Travelling Hours

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From the survey conducted it is seen that most people are either student or employed

professional people, it can also be seen from table 5 that participants of this survey spent

about 1-2 hours in road has the highest percentage and next is people spent 2-4 hours on

average on the road. Since people are travelling from one place to another daily for more

or little hours, they have some positive as well as negative impact. So, we can know that

when the people are on the road they are facing various impacts.

Daily Travelling Hours

Frequency Percentage

1-2 hrs 16 53.3

2-4hrs 10 33.3

4-6 hrs 3 10.0

6hrs and above 1 3.3

Total 30 100%

Table 5 Daily Travelling Hours

1-2 hrs 2-4hrs 4-6 hrs 6hrs and above

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Daily Travelling Hours FrequencyDaily Travelling Hours Per-centage

Figure 5 Daily Travelling Hours

2.1.5. Travelling choice:

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Most of the people in Kathmandu valley own private vehicle. According to the figure, we

can see that about 50% of the people travel in their private vehicle, 40% of the people

depend on public transport and only 10% are pedestrian. This indicates that the residents

have to travel long so they use transportation system. In this survey we came to know that

66.7% has not change their travelling choice despite difficulty in travelling due to road

extension project where as we can see that 33.3% has changed their travelling choice due

to travelling problem caused by the road extension project.

Travelling Choice

Frequency Percent

Private vehicle 15 20.0

Pedestrian 3 10.0

Public Transport 12 40.0

Total 30 100%

Table 6 Travelling Choice

Private vehicle Pedestrian Public Transport

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Travelling Choice FrequencyTravelling Choice Percent

Figure 6 Travelling Choice

2.1.6. Health Problems

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Due to this perceived road extension, the major negative impact is health problem. Air pollution and noise pollution is the main cause of the health problems. Many health problems like respiratory diseases, allergies, cough, etc are caused due to this extension of road. Table 7 shows that 76.6% of the total participant thinks that this road extension project has caused health problem, as road extension project causes air pollution and sound pollution which invites many infections to the human system. Only 23.3% thinks that road extension project does not cause any health problem.

Health Problem

Frequency Percentage

Yes 23 76.7

No 7 23.3

Total 30 100%

Table 7 Health Problem

Frequency Percentage0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

YesNo

Figure 7 Health Problem

2.1.7. Beneficial for Pedestrians

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This project was mainly initiated for the providing advantage to the pedestrians by

making larger roads so that they can walk easily. Due to this road extension project

roads are being extended and more space are now available for transportation,. But

from the survey we can see that 53.3% people thinks that pedestrians are not benefitted

from this project as there is no proper road facility for them to walk on. 46.7% people

think that pedestrians are benefitted from this project because the people have more

space to walk.

Beneficial for Pedestrian

Frequency Percentage

Yes 14 46.7

No 16 53.3

Total 30 100%

Table 8 Beneficial for Pedestrians

Frequency Percentage0

10

20

30

40

50

60

YesNo

Figure 8 Beneficial for Pedestrian

2.1.8. Road Accidents

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Expansion and improvement of Strategic Road Network have increased the average

speed of driving thereby causing road accidents. According to past records, average annual fatal accident

rate is as high as 60 persons per 10,000 vehicles and 4persons per 100,000 populations. As the

road is widened and more space is available for the vehicles there is ease of traffic and

road accident has been decreased but from Figure:9 we can see that 46.7% people

believes that road accidents increasing and still occurring at previous rate but 53.3%

people believes that road accident has been decreasing.

Road Accidents

Frequency Percentage

Increasing 14 46.7

Decreasing 16 53.3

Total 30 100%

Table 9 Road Accident

Frequency Percentage0

10

20

30

40

50

60

IncreasingDecreasing

Figure 9 Road Accident

2.1.9. Employment Opportunities

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According to the interview done too the laborers working in this project, on average Rs

500 is given to them per day for their labor. So, when the people are employed rather

doing nothing, it contributes to the economic development. Figure:10 shows that 76.7 %

of the prople examined have an opinion that people are benifitted due this road extension

as the poor and unemployed people are geeting employed. On average, the people are

getting Rs. 500 per day as their salary which helps them in coming out of the poverty. In

the name of decreasing poverty, there is expectancy of overall development due to this

project.But 23.3% of the people are not satisfied that this project can generate any

employment opportunities. They believe that people are rather homeless and jobless in

the name of development.

Employment Opportunities

Frequency Percentage

Yes 23 76.7

No 7 23.3

Total 30 100%

Table 10 Employment Opportunities

Frequency Percentage0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

YesNo

Figure 10 Employment Opportunities

2.1.10. Compensation

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People are protesting against the government moves. There is only one cause that brings

them together on the road i.e. they do not want their houses and properties where they

have been residing for ages to be brought down like this.The table 11 shows that 90% of

the residents feels that the people whose houses and shops have been destroyed due to

this project are not satisfied with the compensation received . The Government has

provided compensation to only the legally build houses and shops. So, majority of the

people think that residents are not satisfied and they are not provided with enough

compensation as they have been living there for many years and that the value of their

property is obivously higher than that of the compenstion. Only 10% think thatn people

are satisfied with compensation recieved by those people whoes houses and shops are

destroyed.

Compensation

Frequency Percentage

Yes 3 10

No 27 90

Total 30 100%

Table 11 Compensation

Frequency Percentage0

102030405060708090

YesNo

Figure 11 Compensation

2.1.11. Destruction of traditional Places

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Out of 30 people, 73.3% of the people think that destructing the traditional places in the

name of development is not good. Nepal is a country of traditional places and beliefs, so

the traditonal places should not be demolished. Though they are not mordern like the

buildings build now, but they do reflect our traditional beliefs and values which we

Nepales are famous for. But on the other hand 26.7% of the people surved thimk that the

traditional places can be destroyed for development of the country as whole. They think

that these areas can be renovated since they were not build using modern tecnique and that

they can be rebuild in order to develpop the nation so that more tourists are attracted

towards our country.

Destruction of Traditional Places

Frequency Percentage

Yes 23 76.7

No 7 23.3

Total 30 100%

Table 12 Destruction of traditional places

Frequency Percentage0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

YesNo

Figure 12: Destruction of Traditional Places

2.2. Major Findings and Interpretation

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The main concern of this report is how the people are affected due to the road extension

project initiated by Government two years back. The people were surveyed were mainly

from Putalisadak and Baneshwor where currently heavy construction of the road and

buildings going on. According to the 30 residents, more people have negative impact on

this current project on road extension. It shows that people are facing different problems

due to this and also they are not satisfied with the project.

Major Impact on the Residents

Frequency Percentage

Positive Impact 6 20.00

Negative Impact 20 66.67

Mixed Observation 4 13.33

Total 30 100%

Table 13 Impact on the Residents

20%

67%

13%

Major Impact on the Residents

Positive ImpactNegative ImpactMixed Observation

Figure 13 Impacts on the Residents

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From the Figure: 13 we find that 19.74% of the people surveyed see advantage in this

project. They feel that widening the project is beneficial for overall development of the

country. Also, tourists will be attracted more when the roads are properly constructed as

they are more familiar to proper road system. We can also tell that the some people see

less traffic jam due this project. After surveying the 30 respondents, 66.67% of the people

see disadvantage in this project. This shows that more people are against extending the

roads and are facing difficulties due to this project. Almost all people facing disadvantage

are facing problem of pollution. They are complaining about the air and noise pollution

which hampers the life of the people creating different health problems. People are not

willing to accept this project because it leads to unmanaged roads and road accidents. The

roads are not properly building and proper footpaths are not constructed. So the

pedestrian are facing more difficulty. People see no development due to road extension as

it hampers the living standard of the people and it also leads to destruction of the

traditional places. According to the survey, the people are facing problems like lack in

drainage system, more traffic jams, global warming and decrease in tourism sector.

Out of 30 people surveyed, 14.28% of the residents have mixed feeling regarding the

project. They are facing both advantage and disadvantage in extending the road. They

have emphasized more on time i.e. they have complaints regarding delay in completion

of the project. According to them; there is positive impact of this road extension as there

is overall development of the country. Moreover, with this improvement excess to

famous cultural heritage will be a lot easier which directly attracts tourism sector.

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CHAPTER: III

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

3.1 SummaryPresent road extension project of Kathmandu was proposed in late 1970s but there were

never enough political will and it was also not given too much of attention. After 40

years, it is now being initiated for the development of the country as a whole. Till now

some 200 meters road has fallen under expansion drive in Kathmandu, bhaktapur and

lalitpur. The road system of a country is one of the basic infrastructures. The

development and expansion of roads is a basic requirement for the development of a

country. Kathmandu, capital of Nepal is not connected with modern bulk carrier

infrastructures such as the railway. Thus the only means of transportation in the city is by

road but an inadequate road infrastructure is one of the city’s major problems. So, the

Government has formulated this project for the improvement of infrastructure and to ease

the traffic problems faced by the residents of Kathmandu on daily basis.

This road widening is an indication of development because with proper road

infrastructure, economic development is possible. It also has a benefit to the pedestrians

as now there is better pass by service to inner and outer roads. Due to this project of

extension, there is improved traffic system where there is proper transportation system

for both pedestrians and vehicles. There is possibility of attracting tourists since they will

be fascinated by the proper road system. Another benefit is that this project is creating

employment opportunities to the poor people. Building wider roads will automatically

ease the traffic flow in the short run but in the long run traffic on roads will increase and

the same problems will appear. Building roads alone however will not ensure economic

growth but it is certainly a catalyst for economic growth by enhancing social and

economic activities. The people whose houses and shops were demolished are still not

willing to accept this huge project which creates inconvenience to the project as a whole.

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Though the roads are being expanded, they also could be shortening lives of the people

since it may cause respiratory diseases, allergies, cough, etc.

All in all, this large scale project of widening the road initiated by the Government and

other associated committees have both negative and positive aspects. The negative

impacts of this project should be of great concern to the Government as the people are

violating against this project which may create hurdle in the process of completing the

project.

3.2 ConclusionBigger roads are the symbol of urbanism and development. Transport is often defined as

the basic need for economic development. Building roads alone however will not ensure

economic growth but it is certainly a catalyst for economic growth by enhancing social

and economic activities. Road itself is not the symbol of economic growth; it is rather a

way to achieve growth. The main aim of this road project is to develop the country as a

whole and to ease the traffic system. Governments along with the concerned committee

have all come down together to widen the road for the beneficial of the pedestrians and to

attract the tourists.

The ongoing road expansion project in Kathmandu has been in process for a long period

of time. The deadline which was proposed by the government is already expired but still

there is no sign of completion of this project. The main concern here is that though the

project has not been completed, the people are facing negative impacts due to this project.

Moreover, the people are having come down on the road to protest against the

Government for destroying their houses and properties where they have been residing for

ages. Trying to solve traffic jams by building bigger roads is like trying to put out a fire

with gasoline.” This quote from former mayor of Bogota Enrique Penalosa is worth

mentioning. He clearly means that road widening is not the permanent solution for traffic

management. It not only attracts more people to use private vehicles for their daily

mobility, but also discourage walking, cycling and using public transport.

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In conclusion, despite the fact that extending road is very essential for developing the

country as a whole, the people of Kathmandu are facing various problems during this

process. The people are eagerly waiting for the completed wider roads with the hope that

wider roads will end the frequent traffic congestion and road accidents of the valley.

3.3 RecommendationDuring this study I found that the current road extension program is facing many

problems which can be improved only when there is coordination between the

government and the people. Following are the recommendation for both the people and

government:

Analyzing the present way of building roads, the people of Kathmandu need to

have patience for a while to get completed wider roads.

To keep a balance between development and the environment, there is the

provision of an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA). People should be more

aware about the work of EIA.

Government should be able to provide all the information relation to the current

situation. There should not be communication gap between the local residents and

the government.

Instead of blaming each other for the delay in widening the road, the government

and the associated committee should work all together to complete this large scale

project.

The government should be able to provide required compensation to the people

whose houses and properties are to be demolished. There should be pre notice for

demolishing these houses so that the people can prepare for the ultimate cause.

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BIBILOGRAPHY

Panta P R (2013). Social Science Research and thesis Writing. Kathmandu

Sharma, R.P. (2005). Research methodology with SPSS.Pokhara: Manakamana

Books and Stationary

Web sites

Retrieved on September 2013 fromhttp://nepalitimes.com

Retrieved on October 2013 fromhttps://walkeasyktm.wordpress.com/tag/road-expansion/http://www.dor.gov.np/kvrip.php

Retrieved on October 2013 fromhttp://www.amandasnellinger.com

Retrieved on September 2013 fromhttp://www.eldtraining.com/reports/2013_07_08_RS_KTM_SaveTheChildrenNepal.pdf

Retrieved on November 2013 fromhttp://www.ekantipur.com/the-kathmandu-post/2013/06/06/related_articles/the-road-to-hell/249654.html

Retrieved on November 2013 fromRough Roads Of Kathmandu | NewSpotLight Nepal News Magazine

30

ANNEX 1- Questionnaire

This questionnaire is the part of my project. Please kindly tick the answer according to

your view. Thank you for your time.

Age:

1. Are you a resident from

i. Kathmandu valley

ii. Outside the valley

2. Are you

i. Student

ii. Employed

iii. Unemployed

3. How often are you on the road in a day?

i. 1-2 hrs

ii. 2-4 hrs

iii. 4-6 hrs

iv. 6 hrs or more

4. How much do you have knowledge about the present road extension program in

Kathmandu?

i. a lot

ii. little

iii. no knowledge at all

5. On average, how do you travel?

i. Private vehicle

ii. Pedestrian

iii. Public transport

6. Due to this project, have you changed your travelling choice?

i. Yes

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ii. No

7. Do you think this project causes health problems?

i. Yes

ii. No

8. Are the pedestrian benefited from this project?

i. Yes

ii. No

9. Due to this project, do you think the number of road accidents have been

i. Increasing

ii. Decreasing

10. According to you, rate how this project has been advantageous? (On the scale of 1 to 4, 1 means Least and 4 means most)[ ] ease traffic

[ ] economic development

[ ] tourism sector

[ ] mainly for pedestrian

11. Do you think the people are satisfied with the compensation received for

destroying their houses?

i. Yes

ii. No

12. Do you think it provides employment opportunities to the poor people?

i. Yes

ii. No

13. In your opinion, destructing the traditional places in the name of development is

good?

i. Yes

ii. No

14. Do you think it has affected the tourism sector in positive way?

i. Yes

ii. No

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15. What other impacts has the road extension project brought about?

i.

ii.

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