The Bhotekoshi and Trishuli floods have added to Kathmandu Valley’s problems, with shortages of vital supplies emerging as another concern. Besides addressing the high death toll and damage to houses, highways and bridges, the government must now ensure that disruptions to transportation do not become a pretext for unjustified price hikes on food and other essentials. The collapse of the Krishnabhir section of the Nagdhunga-Muglin road, one of the capital’s primary supply routes, needs to be repaired at the earliest to stabilize supplies to the capital. Meanwhile, flooding along the Trishuli River has damaged other sections of the road in Dhading, hampering the transportation of essential goods since Sunday. Alternative routes exist, but they are longer, more difficult to navigate and more expensive. A slight rise in prices is therefore understandable if traders are genuinely passing on additional transportation costs. However, this does not explain all of the recent price increases. Sugar, for example, has jumped from Rs 100 to Rs 140 per kilogram within a week. A 25-kilogram bag of Jeera Fine rice now costs Rs 2,500, up from Rs 1,900. Sunflower oil has risen from Rs 245 to more than Rs 300 per litre, while mustard oil has increased from Rs 340 to Rs 375. Rice, lentils and other staples have also seen price increases of 30 to 50 percent. These figures warrant investigation. If traders are exploiting the disruption to maximize profits, the government must intervene. A calamity that has already imposed such hardship on families cannot be turned into an opportunity for profiteering through artificial price hikes.
Let there be food
The unexpected drop in goods reaching Kalimati Market has further worsened the situation. Last Saturday, around 795,000 kg of vegetables, fruits and seafood reached the market. By Sunday, the total had dropped to around 151,000 kg. Such a sharp decline could easily unnerve consumers. People may begin buying more than they need out of fear of scarcity. Traders may then raise prices in response to increased demand, creating a cycle in which a genuine transportation disruption turns into an artificial shortage. That is why the government must keep the public informed. According to traders, Kathmandu does not face an immediate shortage of rice and pulses, and warehouses have enough stock for about three months. If that is the case, consumers should be made aware. Authorities should regularly maintain and disseminate data on available stockpiles, incoming supplies and the expected duration of transportation disruptions. Timely information can help prevent panic buying while making it more difficult for traders to profit from uncertainty. Fuel and cooking gas demand even greater attention. To keep fuel supplies flowing, Nepal Oil Corporation has established alternative routes through Hetauda. LPG businesses have also begun filling cylinders outside the Valley and transporting them to Kathmandu. These efforts are encouraging, but authorities must closely monitor distribution to ensure that supplies reach consumers fairly.
The Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection has warned traders against black marketing, artificial shortages and unjustified price hikes. Such warnings, however, will be ineffective unless officials follow them up with market inspections, investigations and immediate action. The government should also make enforcement outcomes public. Consumers need to know that their complaints are taken seriously and that those who exploit the situation will face consequences. The government must therefore focus immediately on two tasks: keeping supplies moving and keeping prices fair. Repairing the Nagdhunga-Muglin road and resuming traffic along it is critical, but authorities should also make alternative supply routes more reliable and affordable. Transport operators, wholesalers and local governments must work together to ease bottlenecks and prioritize the optimal distribution of essential goods. The floods have demonstrated how heavily Kathmandu depends on a limited supply network. Though that vulnerability cannot be fixed overnight, authorities can prevent the current disruption from escalating into a larger crisis. Citizens have already paid a high human and economic price for the disaster; they should not be forced to pay more through artificial price increases.
