Himal Press 
Photo Courtesy: Narpabhumi Rural Municipality
KATHMANDU: Work has commenced on the construction of a road that will connect the remote Nar Phu region of Manang to the road network.
According to the District Administration Office, Manang, the construction of the Koto-Chankhu road began on Tuesday. Workers are using explosives to break boulders and open the track, Shishir Assistant CDO Shishir Ghimire told RSS news agency.
Chankhu, which serves as the administrative center of Narpabhumi Rural Municipality, is about a day’s walk from Koto.
Gandaki Province Government has allocated a budget of Rs 5 million to open the track, while the Narpabhumi Rural Municipality has set aside Rs 9 million.
Although Manang was connected to the road network approximately two decades ago, the road that links Manang to the district headquarters of Besishahar in Lamjung is not yet an all-weather road.
The twin villages of Nar and Phu are the main attractions of the Nar Phu region. Trekkers leave the popular Annapurna Circuit trail at Koto and go upstream of Nar Khola to visit the Nar-Phu region. They return back to the Annapurna Circuit trail after crossing the Kang La Pass (5,306m).
