HUMLA: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has announced that the Karnali Corridor will be developed as a major trade route connecting China and India.

He emphasized that the corridor is not just for the people of Karnali and Humla but also serves as a vital commercial link between Nepal’s two neighbors.

He committed to upgrading the road to a two-lane highway and proceeding with blacktopping the stretch without delay.

Speaking at a formal ceremony held at Chuwa Khola in Kharpunath Rural Municipality-5, PM Oli inaugurated a Bailey bridge and said a permanent bridge will soon be constructed at the site under the Karnali Corridor project.

Expressing his satisfaction, he said that Humla district headquarters Simkot is now officially connected to the national road network.

The Prime Minister stated that the Bailey bridge has helped connect Humla not only to the rest of the country but also to the tri-national borders.

He pledged to continue upgrading the road network, even in difficult terrain, and declared that this effort will contribute to the prosperity of the entire nation.

PM Oli also announced the government’s plan to build a quarantine facility at Hilsa border point, which links Nepal with China.

He underscored the high potential for cross-border trade and said establishing the quarantine facility is necessary to facilitate business with neighboring countries.

The Nepal Army had begun installing the Bailey bridge at Chuwa Khola on March 23, 2025.

To inaugurate the bridge, PM Oli arrived today in Kharpunath via Surkhet using a Nepal Army helicopter. He was welcomed by local residents with traditional musical processions.

He was accompanied by Defense Minister Manbir Rai, Physical Infrastructure and Transport Minister Devendra Dahal, CPN-UML Deputy General Secretary Pradeep Gyawali, Karnali Province Chief Yagya Raj Joshi, Chief Minister Yam Lal Kandel, Chief of Army Staff Ashok Raj Sigdel, Infrastructure Ministry Secretary Keshav Kumar Sharma, and other senior officials.

After 26 years since the project began, the Humla district headquarters, Simkot, is now formally connected to Nepal’s national road network.

The Nepal Army has confirmed that the Bailey bridge at Chuwa Khola in Kharpunath-5 was completed on June 24, 2025 under the national pride project Karnali Corridor.

This corridor aims to link northern and southern cross-border road networks, ultimately integrating Karnali into the regional trade and transit framework.