The document provides an overview of rural road development in Nepal, detailing its history, classification, planning frameworks, and government policies aimed at improving rural infrastructure. Key milestones include the establishment of the Department of Local Infrastructure Development and Agricultural Roads (DOLIDAR) and the introduction of the Nepal Rural Road Standards (NRRS). It highlights the importance of community participation and sustainable practices in the construction and maintenance of rural roads to enhance connectivity and reduce poverty.

1. Overview of Rural Road
development in Nepal
Nabaraj Poudel,
CRN: 014-1217, M.S.C.(TEAM)
16-10-2014 1

2. Acronyms
AWR All Weather Road
DDC District development committee
DOR Department of Road
DOLIDAR Department of local infrastructure Development and
Agricultural Road
DFID Department for international development
DTO District Technical Office
DTMP District Transport Master Plan
FWT Fair Weather Track
FWR Fair weather Road
GON Government of Nepal
GTZ German Technical cooperation
LRIP Local Road Improvement Programme
SDC Swiss Agency For Development & Cooperation
VDC Village Development committee
LRN Local Road Network
2

3. History
• In Nepal, the technological development of low-cost,
environment friendly rural road based on peopleǯs
participation has been taking place since the mid 1980s.
• The local road improvement programme (LRIP) supported
by GTZ and helvetas in Palpa district implemented the
environment friendly improvement and construction of 96
km of road in 1986.
• GTZ supported the construction of 65 km of environment-friendly
road in Dhading district in 1987.
• With the advent of Multiparty democracy in 1989,there has
been a tremendous demand of constructing rural road in
rural areas.
16-10-2014
Source:Ministry of local
development,LGCDP,UNDP,UNEP
3

4. Stages of Rural Road development
in Nepal
• Rural infrastructure we re constructed by DOR
before the establishment of DOLIDAR.
• DOLIDAR was established later in 2055 under
the ministry of local development.
• Later in 2058 district technical offices were
established in 75 district of the country
• After then all the rural road & infrastructure
were constructed by DDC under technical
support of DTO.
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5. Background
Nepal rural road standards(NRSS) were introduced in
2055 BS to set the classification & geometric design
standards for Local road Network(LRN) to be followed by all
involving in the road development network including user
committees,VDCs,DDCs,DTOs,DOLIDAR and its development
partners.
It was revised in 2010 AD in which existing district road
were reclassified as district road ǮAǯ and all previous village
roads were reclassified as district roads ǮBǯ with no change in
their geometric parameters.
In march 2012 AD, Nepal road sector assesment study was
completed together with recommendation regarding
simplifying DTMP to make it easier to understand,cheaper
to implement and less time consuming.
16-10-2014 SOURCE: Nepal Rural Road Standard(2055) 1ST revision.
5

6. Background cont…
This review concluded that LRN investment should
change its approach to new construction &
concentrate on upgrading to a core network of
maintainable,all-weather road linking the district
centre to the VDC HQs office or growth centre.
The all-weather construction of the core network
has meant that the design speed of district road has
had to be increased which has prompted a review of
geometric design standards for LRN.
16-10-2014 SOURCE: Nepal Rural Road Standard(2055) 1ST revision.
6

7. Rural road classification
District Road (Core Network)
Important Road joining VDCs HQs office or Nearest economic centre to the district
headquarters, via either a neighbouring district headquarters or Strategic road
network
Village Road
Smaller road not falling under District Road(core network)category are Village
roads,including other Agriculture road.
16-10-2014 SOURCE: NRRS(2055) 3

8. ‘ural road ĐlassifiĐation Đont…..
• But overall Rural transport linkages in Nepal
are classified in to three categories:
Two classes in road category
Two classes in trail category
One class in ropeway category
16-10-2014 SOURCE: DTMP Panchthar 8

9. • Strategic
function(natio-nal
integration)
• PubFliuc ndcetmioannd o f
linkage
Level of users • Direct relation
• Increase in
opportunities
with
geometric
dimension
• Technical
standard(eart-hern,
graveled
& paved)
Traffic Volume
Topography
• Environmentally
sensitive area
16-10-2014
SOURCE: DTMP Panchthar
9
Criteria for classification

10. 16-10-2014
SOURCE: DTMP Panchthar
10
Finally

11. According to National transport policy
2058
• Local road system:
 Roads those are not the parts of central road system and where project
formulation ,construction, maintenance and repair have to be done by
local institution shall be classified as local road system.
• The road system may be:
 District road
 Village road
 Agricultural road
 Main trails/Mule tracks
 Village trails/Mule tracks
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12. National Planning
Commission(NPC)
Ministry of finance
Ministry of Local
development
DOLIDAR
District development
committees
VDCs & Communities
16-10-2014
Source: Nepal Rural Road
standards(2055) 1st Revision
5
Planning Framework of Rural road

13. Rural road networking in Nepal as per 2012
S.N Description Rural road Length (km) Total
Blacktopped Gravel Earthen
1 Eastern
development
region
173 3015 6248 9436
2 Central
development
region
679 4977 13095 18751
3 Western
development
region
646 2377 11258 14282
4 Mid western
development reg.
77 2378 3139 5594
5 Far western
development reg.
0 1855 1026 2881
Total 1576 14602 34766 50944
16-10-2014 Source: Rural road inventory
2069(DOLIDAR)
13

14. AppliĐaďle only for ‘ural ‘oad Class ͚A͛, ͚B͛, ͚C͛ and ͚D͛
16-10-2014
SOURCE: DTMP
14
Design standard

15. 16-10-2014
SOURCE: DTMP
15
Design standard Đont…..

16. 16-10-2014
SOURCE: DTMP
16
Design standard Đont…..

17. Major policy framework of GON
for Rural infrastructure
Agricultural perspective plan,APP(1997-2017)
National transport policy,2001
Poverty Reduction strategy paper 2001
A 20-year road plan 2002-2022
Priority investment plan 1997
Local self government act 1999 and regulation
2000
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18. Major policy framework of GON for
‘ural infrastruĐture Đont…..
National plan for rural road maintenance 1999
Local infrastructure development policy 2061
Nepal Road Board act 2002
National 3 year interim plan 2062-2065
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19. Agricultural Perspective plan,APP(1997-2017)
• The agricultural road investment in the APP is essential to the high value
commodity strategy i.e. to connect by all weather road for boosting
production of high economic value fruits and herbs production pocket in
the hills and mountains for commercial purpose wherever feasible.
Ecologica
l zone
20 years Target Phase 1(first 10 yrs
target)
Phase 2(second 10 yrs
target)
Physical
km
Financial Rs
million
Physical
km
Financial
Rs million
Physical
km
Financial Rs
million
Terai 3400
2805 3400
2805
0
Hill 1950 4875
1428
3570
522
1305
Mountain 850
4250 318 1590 532 2660
Total 6200
11930
5146
7965
1054
3965
16-10-2014 Source:Business paper,Bhim upadhya 19

20. National Transport Policy of
Nepal 2001
• The principal objective of the policy is to develop
a reliable, cost effective, safe facility oriented and
sustainable transport system that promotes and
sustains the economic,social,cultural and tourism
development of Nepal as a whole.
• The strategies pinpointed are the responsibility
demarcation between central and local level,
decentralized governance system by utilizing the
local level resources and private sector
involvement.
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21. Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper 2001
• Poverty was explicitly stated as an objective only
since the sixth plan in 1980.
• The action for the approach include policy
changes, institutional reforms and implementing
targeted programs and projects.
• GON has established poverty alleviation fund to
strengthen, coordinate, support and monitor
targeted activities directed towards meeting the
goal of poverty reduction focusing community
preferences.
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22. A 20-Year Road Plan(2002-2022)
• The road density for 10000 population and 100 sq km are
6.68 and 10.4 respectively which are comparatively lower
then other countries in the south Asian region.
• This plan has made an urgent change of strategy to
concentrate resources in a limited number of prioritized
road projects to ensure that the projects are completed
within a reasonable period of time.
• A total of 4040 km roads are to be newly built in the plan
period.
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23. Local self government act 1999 and
Regulation 2000.
• Nepal has two tier system of governance viz. central
and local and three types of local government and units
called local bodies viz. village
development committees(VDCs) ,Municipalities and
District Development Committees(DDCs)
• The local bodies are governed by a separate Local self
government act 1999.
• Local bodies have institutional responsibilities, rights and
power necessary to formulate and carry out plans at local
level as per their needs ,priorities and demand.
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24. National strategy for Rural
Infrastructure Development 1997
• The strategy as its key objective states that the
development of basic rural infrastructure country-wide in
a planned and sustainable means by adopting the labour
based ,local resources oriented, environment friendly
means and in accordance with the decentralized
Participatory approach in line with strategy to the poverty
alleviation objective in National plan in such a way that
maximum employment income opportunity is created to
local residents.
16-10-2014 24

25. National Plan for rural road
maintenance 1999
• This plan is approved by the GON with the objective of
initiating regular maintenance, repair or reconstruction/
rehabilitation of built road infrastructures in the past
which have been overlooked at the cost of new
construction projects.
• The modality of the maintenance is primarily labour-based
and local resources oriented to create local employment
and income.
• Approximately 22,000 km of road to be maintained
properly is addressed by the plan.
16-10-2014 25

26. Local infrastructure Development
Policy 2061
• This policy identifies 7 sector as the local
infrastructures viz. Rural transport, rural drinking
water and sanitation, rural electrification, small
and middle size irrigation programms,solid waste
management, rural housing ,township program
and social infrastructures.
• For transport accessibility, it has set the basic
needs of access as 2 hours to a nearby motorable
road in the terai region and that of 4 hours in the
hills and mountain regions.
16-10-2014 26

27. Nepal Road Board act 2002
• It is estimated that Nepal at present has about NRs 70 billion worth of
road infrastructure asset to be maintained & operated regularly.
• The total road network including rural roads are estimated at more
than 22000 km.
• DOR is responsible government organization for maintenance of
strategic roads and local bodies are responsible for local roads
• The fund so far made has not been adequate and priority for proper
maintenance did not receive due importance in practice in the past.
• Therefore GON enacted a special act to mobilize resources
autonomously by creating its own fund under the act called Nepal Road
Board Act 2002 to take care seriously of maintenance to begin with and
later to rehabilitation and reconstruction at the minimum cost.
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28. Development Process of Rural Road in
Nepal
16-10-2014
Source:Rural road technical design
manual
28
Trails and
pedestrians(in the
hills and
mountains)
Investment from
the local
communities, local
authorities, donor
projects,NGOs,gove
rnment line
agencies
FWT( In the terai
and valley plains)
FWR(Basic
Access)
Initial
Capital
Investment)
AWR(Improve
d transport)
Maintenance
investment
over the
designed life
of the road
Sustained
AWR
Investment for
black toping
and other
improvement
plus
maintainance
Efficient
improved
&
sustainabl
e road
Social
Approach
Economic
Approach

29. Steps for preparing / Updating DTMP(from
DOLIDAR Approach
16-10-2014 SOURCE: Rural road technical design
manual
29
Prepare and finalize indicative development potential map of the district
Prepare district inventory map of rural road network
Collection of demand for new transport linkages from VDCs
Prepare draft perspective plan of district rural road network
Synchronizing the draft perspective plans of adjoining district
Acceptance of the perspective plan of district rural road network
Preparation of five year rural road master plan of district
Updating year wise list of prioritized road links and approval

30. Indicative development potential map with market and
service center
16-10-2014 30

31. District road inventory map preparation
Name and total
length of existing
road.
Road
status(Blacktop/
gravel/earthen
Surface
condition(good/fair/
poor
Serviceability(all
weather/fair weather
16-10-2014 31

32. Facts
• Some roads have been
included in the SRN
because of political
interest
• While some strategic
roads have been left as
LRN roads until they are
upgraded
Gravelling of postal road by DDC before
transferring it to DOR as SRN road
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33. Facts..
Unsafe transport in the LRN Poor Earthen road surface causing
access problems during rainy season
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34. Funding sources for rural roads(% of
LRN Budget
16-10-2014
Source: Nepal road sector assessment
study by ADB,DFID&SDC
34

35. Conclusion
 Nepal need quality of expert in order to develop rural
infrastructures.
 Foreign donors are very much interested to assist by
providing grants or loans to Nepal to develop rural
infrastructures.
 Proper allocation of budget is necessary in time.
 Government policy and act should be supportive to all
concerned investors and consultants
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36. References
• GON,WB,ADB,DFID,SDC., 2013. Nepal road sector assesment study.
Kathmandu,Nepal: World Bank
• GON,DOLIDAR., 2012. Nepal Rural Road Standard.
Kathmandu,Nepal: DOLIDAR
• Ministry of local development,LGCDP,UNDP,UNEP., 2011.
Economic Analysis of Local Government Investment in Rural Road in Nepal.
Kathmandu Nepal: Ministry of Local development.
• Upadhyaya, Bhim., 2012. Rural infrastructure Development
Prospect and status of consultancy Business in Nepal.
Business paper, pp. 1-11
• DDC., DTMP Panchthar district.
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37. Thank You
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