Arughat is 42 km from the Gorkha district headquarters. But vehicles have only been able to reach as far as 10 km from the district headquarters. Passengers then traverse the remaining distance, which is fraught with landslide risks, on foot.
As transport services have been obstructed following the earthquake, the lives of quake victims in the northern part of the district have become difficult.Helicopter is the only means to transport people and goods to these areas, which also border with Tibet. Only small helicopters can land in these villages. Even a chopper cannot fly with more than five quintals of goods.
A helicopter trip from Kathmandu to Aarughat costs Rs 100,000, while it costs Rs 60,000 to 70,000 from Arughat to Kathmandu.
After the helicopter belonging to Manang Air landed at Arughat on Wednesday at 10 am, locals from villages including Samagaun Prok received tarpaulins and some food items, and got back to their villages. They had to wait at Arughat Bazaar for relief materials.
However, the relief materials, especially tarpaulins and food items, airlifted by the chopper could not suffice hundreds of quake affected families, said the locals.
The Manasalu trekking route, which was blocked after the April 25 earthquake, has not been cleared yet. Though the Nepal Army has been trying to clear the obstruction, frequent landslides have been obstructing the route again.
"Locals of the upper parts cannot reach Arughat easily to buy daily commodities as the route is obstructed," said Rabindra Khanal, inspector at the Area Police Office, Arughat. "It will take a long time to clear the route."
According to inspector Khanal, security personnel clear the route in the daytime but landslide obstructs it again in the evening.
Good thing, however, is that capable organizations and groups have been airlifting food items and tarpaulins to the earthquake victims.
"There is not any route that is not affected by the disaster. It is not possible for even a mule to pass through," said Indra Gurung, who along with his friends, was heading for Manang with over 300 mules to transport goods. According to him, it would take them a week to reach their destination.
Samagaun, Lho, Prok, Chhekampar, Bihi, Chumchet, Sirdibas, Uhiya, and Keraunja are among the affected villages, where the locals have been hit hard due to lack of transport services. They have to walk for three to four hours to reach the nearest local markets, and reaching there is costlier too, said another local Rel Bahadur Gurung.
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