Myagdi, Sept. 12: Gaumati Budha Magar, 38, of Rolpa, who entered the construction sector as a labourer about one-and-a-half decades ago, has now become a successful construction entrepreneur. Gaumati has presented an example that women can also become successful businessperson even in the unconventional sectors like construction.

She has completed difficult and challenging work in various projects during the last fifteen years. She has the experience of hanging on to the wall where men don't dare.

During her initial days in the occupation, she had gone for labour works with her husband Sahabir Gharti Magar in Chame road construction project in Manang district. She worked as a labourer for five years in the construction.

Gaumati had also worked as the human resource manager for the road construction projects in Rolpa and other districts. She came to Myagdi in 2013 after completing the road construction work in Manang, and worked in difficult projects such as constructing access roads and rock cutting for Ghalemdikhola, Mistrikhola and Nilgiri hydropower projects.

She said that she completed the construction of penstock pipeline in Ghalemdi Hydropower Project and construction of anchor block in steep mountain cliff which is considered a great challenge. "The work of access road construction for Mistrikhola HEP was also very difficult and risky. We had to construct the road by cutting rock on a steep hill cliff. It was very challenging. But we successfully did it," she said. After that performance, many projects now give difficult and challenging work to Gaumati and her company.

After getting success as a worker in the construction works, Gaumati and her husband Sahabir started a company, Yuvraj Construction Services, seven years ago. Now they both are construction entrepreneurs.

Both of them, who entered the construction sector as labourers 15 years ago, have now established themselves as trustworthy, reliable and budding construction businesspersons. Gaumati is now the Chief Director of the company.

Although she is the owner of a construction company, she works together with workers in difficult construction sites. For the past five years, she has been working in the most difficult areas of ​​the Beni-Jomsom-Korala road under the Kaligandaki Corridor Project, a national pride project. As a subcontractor of Gajurmukhi Construction Services, Gaumati worked on road construction in Kavrebhir, which is considered to be the most difficult section of the project.

Sohan Jung Karki, sub-engineer of the project, said that although Gaumati is the owner of the construction company, she is a brave woman who hangs herself on the cliff and works with the workers. She completes the work assigned by the project in a quality and reliable manner on time. She has a sense of responsibility towards the mobilisation, management and work of the workers, Karki said.

According to Karki, for the prevention of Baisari landslides in the Beni-Jomsom road section, Gaumati has taken a contract from the project and is currently working on landslide prevention using 'rock anchoring' technology.

Gaumati said that she is being consulted by road construction and hydropower projects because she has skills to work in difficult terrain as well as rock cutting. "There are many challenges for women to work in the construction sector. If you work, you will learn. There is a hope that women can also work in the construction sector," she said.

She plans to do something in the construction sector of the country by becoming number one construction entrepreneur in the future.

She has successfully mobilised 80 to 100 workers in a project. She said that there should be no delay in paying the wages of the workers. "I

have even obtained loans to clear the dues of the workers," Gaumati said. Although there are various distortions and anomalies in the construction sector, there is happiness and self-satisfaction from the achievements, she said.

Published on: 12 September 2024 | The Rising Nepal