Around 20 kilometers of the 59-km Damak-Rabi road runs alongside the Ratuwa, rendering it useless during the monsoon. The obstruction in the road has affected thousands of people in Ibhang, Bajho, Fuatappa, Lumde and Gajurmukhi VDCs of Ilam and Kurumba, Ravi and Hikunamba VDCs in eastern Panchthar, who buy their daily consumer items in Damak.
Around 10 to 15 public transport jeeps and dozens of trucks ply the road during winter but due to the flooding, shops in villages adjoining the road are gradually running out of items of daily consumption.
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