Prolonged traffic disruption brings misery

DADELDHURA, Oct 11: People in seven Far-West Region districts are badly affected as the traffic obstructions due to landslides are not cleared for a week now. Landslides on Oct 2 blocked Bhim Dutta Highway, the only road linking seven Far-Western districts, at several places. [break]



There is no alternative to the highway in the wake of landslides, thus life in the districts has turned into worst from bad, said Laxmi Bhatta, an engineer of Road Division.



"Our efforts to clear the landslides have got a blow as many bulldozer drivers have not returned to work from Dashain vacation," he said. "This means it will take more time to bring transportation service back on track."



Heaps of landslides have severed transportation network in several places along 140-kilometer section of Dhangadhi-Dadeldhura road. Situation is horrible in the other sections.



The Dadeldhura-Doti-Achham-Bajura sections have been obstructed by landslides in more than hundred places. Roads leading to Baitadi, Darchula and Bajhang from Dadeldhura have been damaged.



While trucks carrying daily essential products have been stranded on the mid-way, vehicles bound for several destinations from the Dadeldhura district headquarters could not make their way ahead, affecting patients, government employees and visitors.



Though the road office has a reason to substantiate its claim, transporters see utter negligence on the former´s part. "Had they been serious, traffic would already have resumed," said Santosh Khadka, Chairman of Ugratara Yatayat, a transport company operating buses in several Far-Western routes.

Related story

Traffic police take action against 3,000+ riders in a single da...