SURKHET, Sept 5: The Birendranagar to Gamgadi stretch of the Karnali Highway is 294 kilometers. In normal conditions, vehicles can travel this distance in around a day. However, under present condition, it takes around five days for vehicles to travel through this section. Consistent rainfall and landslides have deteriorated the road condition so badly that the road is very hard for vehicles to ply.

A team comprising officials from the environment, industry and tourism ministries reached Gamgadhi five days after leaving from Birendranagar. The team had reached Gamgadhi to inspect the Talcha Airport. For the first three days, they sometimes walked but mostly travelled using vehicles. They switched four vehicles during those three days and walked the last two days of their journey to reach Gamgadhi.

"We travelled to Till Nagma (Kalikot-Jumla border town) on vehicle. From there we had to walk as vehicles would not go further due to poor road conditions. There was literally no road at all for the vehicles to ply. So we walked for two days to reach Gamgadhi," said Sher Bahadur Rokaya, information officer at the Ministry of Population and Environment. "It took us more days to return as the condition of the road had further deteriorated," he added.

The road is so bad that we have to spend days to pass through it. If the road was in a good state, it would have been a matter of just 8 to 12 hours. It's better for us to walk rather than waiting to travel in vehicle. -Khadak Khadka, a local of Tatopani Rural Municipality - 6.

The landslides that have been almost regular since the beginning of monsoon have not only made the road difficult to pass by, but have left it extremely risky as well, locals claimed. Passengers travelling in vehicles are sometimes stranded for hours or even days on their way. Many a times, these passengers have to push the vehicles if they get stuck in the rut. Most of the times, tired of waiting, passengers give up the hope of travelling in vehicles and opt to walk.

The Gagma to Gamgadhi road section is in operation since the last four years. To a great joy of people, jeep, car, trucks, two wheelers had started to ply. While the road condition gradually deteriorated, it was not repaired. This left around 94 kilometers of the road section in a pathetic condition. Heavy vehicles do not move through the 94 kilometers as the landslides has blocked segments of the road at Koirel, Badki, Bistawada, Rokayawada and Gothijyulal areas.

The Surkhet- Jumla road of Karnali Highway is in operation since a decade. This road is also in a dilapidated condition at several points and it too has been mired by landslides.

"The road is so bad that we have to spend days to pass through it. If the road was in a good state, it would have been a matter of just 8 to 12 hours," said Khadak Khadka, a local of Tatopani Rural Municipality - 6. "It's better for us to walk rather than waiting to travel in vehicle," he added.

Before the road came into operation, Khadka would travel the distance in three days on foot. However, it takes five days to travel the distance in a vehicle, he said.

"Earlier, I would know what kind of challenges would come on the way. I would prepare myself that way. But now, when there is bus, we hardly know where it might leave me helpless," he stated.

Dhanjeet Budha of Sija Rural Municipality-3 walks on the way with tools to remove debris. If he has tools, he can move on undisturbed.

"I always carry such tools so that I can clear the road wherever there is landslide or debris. Or else, you never know when you reach your destination," Budha stated.

Budha's tools have helped many passengers. When he clears road, others are relieved too. Last month when he was on his way to Surkhet, landslides obstructed the road. He, along with some villagers, cleared the road. It took him four hours to do so. "After four hours, we were able to clear the debris and open the road for our bus to move," he said.

According to Budha, the road is extremely risky. Landslides are regular at Sunarkhola, Pili and Khallagad areas. Removing this debris from the road requires heavy equipments like dozers, he said. "But heavy equipments like the dozers are not readily available around here," said Budha. "This makes it very troublesome for passengers," he added.

When the road was blacktopped, it was very smooth to travel. However a year later the road had lost most of its blacktopping, he said adding that despite gradual deterioration the road was never repaired by the authorities concerned.

"We have been urging the government to repair the highway. Nowadays we have local and provincial governments, let's hope they will act," Budha stated.

 
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