CHITWAN, Aug 1: Amit Poudel, a bus driver responsible for transporting passengers from Butwal on Sunday, found himself in a rush to reach Kathmandu. Departing from Pulchok at 3:30 in the afternoon, he couldn't help but worry about the possibility of the Narayanghat-Mugling road being closed. "You never know when a landslide might strike during the monsoon season. It's a perilous journey," Poudel remarked, noting that the feeling of relief only sets in after passing Mugling. Unfortunately, on Sunday afternoon, the road remained blocked until 3 o'clock, mainly due to its overly saturated condition during the summer. Poudel lamented that he has endured this predicament during the rainy season for several years, as landslides frequently plague the Narayanghat-Mugling road.

The Narayanghat-Mugling road is a vital artery connecting the federal capital Kathmandu with eastern and western regions of Nepal. However, it has become infamous for frequent landslides that plague it every year. Since June 3, this year alone has witnessed 19 landslides, causing a staggering 90 hours of road blockages, severely disrupting transportation.

Sagar Karki, an engineer at the Road Division Office, Bharatpur, reported that this year, the Tuin River, 18 Kilo, and Mauri Bridge areas have been particularly prone to landslides. The road has been blocked seven times at Kalika River, five times at Tuin River, twice at Namsi River, and thrice at 18 Kilo. Notably, a series of landslides in the Namsi River area from June 29 to July 1 led to a prolonged road closure.

Despite recent efforts to widen the Narayanghat-Mugling road to meet Asian standards and expedite travel, landslides continue to plague this crucial highway. While smaller vehicles can explore alternate routes, large buses and trucks transporting goods have no viable alternatives, leaving them at the mercy of this unpredictable road. As many as 12,000 big vehicles travel on this road every day. Last year, the road was blocked for 66 hours due to a landslide at the Mauri River.

In a bid to mitigate landslide-related issues, an additional 300 million rupees was spent on the Narayanghat-Mugling road project, which was expanded at a cost of 3 billion rupees. Last year, 7.5 million rupees was spent to clear landslides on this section alone. However, the repeated occurrences of landslides indicate that more comprehensive and effective solutions are necessary. Commuters have endured significant hardships due to these landslides, with the road closure for 90 hours this year marking a particularly harrowing experience.

Risk of landslide in new areas

The 24 km stretch from Dasdhunga to Mugling has been identified as a high-risk area for landslides, with 20 specific locations prone to such incidents. Among these risk areas are 15 Kilo, 16 Kilo, 17 Kilo, 18 Kilo, Mauri Tol, Seti Dobhan, Simaltal, Ghuwane, Chor River, Namche Bridge, Kali River, and Tope River. Despite allocating approximately 1 billion rupees for landslide prevention, the challenge of ensuring road safety remains a pressing concern.

To address the issue, the road department undertook extensive landslide prevention measures in a 30,000 square meter risk area. Techniques such as burying small stones and rocks with iron rods (rock netting) and securing large rocks by digging 8-meter deep holes and fastening them with iron rods (rock bolting) were employed. In addition, wires, rods, and other materials were utilized at nine locations to mitigate potential landslides.

Engineer Chandeshwar Shah, information officer at the Road Division Office in Bharatpur, reported positive outcomes for the areas where rock bolting and rock netting techniques were used. Nevertheless, new landslide occurrences are still a concern.

Recently, the Tuin River has become a cause of trouble on the 36 km Narayanghat-Mugling road section. Two years ago, the Kali River posed significant challenges, and last year, it was the Mauri Bridge. In response to these ongoing issues, Ramesh Prasad Paudel, head of the Road Division Office in Chitwan, revealed that a study is underway for landslide control in this critical section. The road department is coordinating with organizations like the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to develop comprehensive mitigation strategies. To respond promptly to landslides, excavators have been placed on standby at 15 bridges along the route.

Proposal to open a track towards Tanahun

Amidst the challenges posed by landslides on the Narayanghat-Mugling road section, the Road Division Office in Bharatpur has proactively proposed a solution — a new highway as an alternative. The office has formally submitted a proposal to the ministry, outlining a plan to establish a new track from Gaindakot to Mugling via Tanahun. Speaking about the potential alternative, an official mentioned the possibility of taking the route from Dasdhunga-Mugling towards Gaindakot-Tanahun, offering a promising option to alleviate the pressures on the Narayanghat-Mugling section.

The proposal was sent to the ministry a month ago, and if it secures the ministry's approval, a Detailed Project Report (DPR) work will commence. The new track has already been opened in some parts of the road section, and the office advocates for its development into a national highway to ensure better connectivity.

The final approval for national highways rests with the Council of Ministers, which plays a key role in moving this project forward. In addition to the Gaindakot-Mugling alternative, the Shaktikhor-Phishing road section is also being considered as an alternative highway. Although substantial progress has been made with parts of the track opened and black-topped, it is essential to note that larger vehicles currently face restrictions on this route.

 
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