The Bahrabise-Tatopani road section and many other stretches of the Araniko Highway have seen massive disruptions and damage because of the earthquake. Efforts to reconnect with the border point were initiated as the urgent tasks of digging up the bodies of those who were killed, assessing the damage and distributing relief were not possible without first reopening the highway.
Technical teams and security personnel of both Nepal and China have stepped up efforts, using advanced machinery, to clear up the disrupted road sections and reconnect with the vital entry point.
The earthquake has disrupted 26 km of road on the Bahrabise-Kodari section. The road which developed cracks after the quake was further disrupted by landslide. Salvage efforts in Tatopani, Kodari and Liping were delayed as the road was badly damaged and obstructed.
The Department of Roads, with the help of the Armed Police Disaster Management Team, started clearing up various sections of the highway since Saturday. Inspector Ramesh Paudel, along with his team of 50 security personnel, is helping the department with the post-disaster management. Similarly, the China Road Repairing Force started clearing the obstructions from the Miteri Bridge since Sunday.
The Chinese team couldn't carry out their work even for an hour on the first day as rocks fell from the cliffs above. They have now reached Tatopani Customs after clearing away rocks on a 400-meter road stretch.
"Connection with the border could be reestablished within two to three days if we don't face any natural obstructions," informed Chief District Officer Krishna Prasad Gyawali.
The priorities of both the teams are clearing away the rubble and easing the rescue process. For this, 500 Chinese Armed Police personnel have been mobilized. They are using excavators, dumpers and more than 150 other engineering vehicles.
The highway has reopened on the Barhabise to Larcha section and two-way vehicular movement resumed. The major market area starts from there.
Houses on both sides of the highway had crumbled down onto the road and this halted all movements. The strong tremors on the second day of the earthquake made matters worse.
The rocks started falling after repeated quakes with the epicenter at Tatopani. The loss of life and property in the border areas is yet to be estimated due to lack of contact. According to figures from the District Natural Disaster Rescue Committee, at least 14 people were killed in the villages of Tatopani alone.
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