KATHMANDU, March 4: The southern section of the East-West Highway has remained impassable, leaving passengers stranded.
Since 10 o'clock last night, the road has been blocked due to heavy rainfall, resulting in vehicles along the East-West Highway becoming stuck. Consequently, hundreds of passengers find themselves stranded.
It will take 14 to 18 hours to reach the destination, but the passengers have complained that there is lack of initiative to clear the road even during morning.
Daily life affected by Mechi Highway closure
A passenger said, “Traffic has been halted since midnight, yet there's been no effort to alleviate the situation. Children and elderly passengers are suffering, and there's a shortage of food and water."
Nrip Bista, en route from Kathmandu to Dhangadhi, boarded a bus at 5 pm on Sunday. However, he remains uncertain about reaching his destination.
"I should have reached Kohalpur in Banke by now," he said. "However, I encountered a traffic jam in Nawalparasi, leaving me uncertain whether I'll reach today or tomorrow."
Similarly, Biru Giri, also facing the same plight, was traveling from Kathmandu to Dang on Sunday evening when he became stuck due to road blockages.
Vehicles on both sides of the highway are stuck in between. Because of this, the journeys of countless passengers have been disrupted.
"The road was blocked overnight," said another affected passenger. "Perhaps the police or traffic authorities were notified, but it's perplexing why no action has been taken yet. With government agencies remaining silent, passengers are left in a state of confusion," said the passenger.
