Transport service disrupted for a week in five districts of Karnali

Published On: July 9, 2024 09:30 AM NPT By: Republica | @RepublicaNepal

KARNALI, July 9: Transport service has come to a grinding halt in five districts of Karnali Province since a week now. Both air and land transports have been disrupted due to the incessant rains and the inclement weather.

Flights have not operated to four airports in these districts while vehicles have not been able to ply on the Karnali Highway and the Karnali Corridor due to landslides and flooding at multiple places.

Mohan Shahi of Tallekh, Chhayanath Rara Municipality-10, missed the Teacher Service Commission examination on July 6 as he could not make it to the exam center in Surkhet. Like him, many people missed their exams.

Patients and employees preparing to travel to the provincial and federal capitals for treatment and for important works have not been able to travel to these places due to the disruption of air and road transportation.

Vehicles carrying daily essentials and construction materials are stranded, said Kamal Bahadur Budha, President of Mugu Chamber of Commerce and Industry. "If the road transport halted for a week now is not resumed, then there will be shortage of daily essentials in the market," he expressed his worry.

Engineer at the Road Division Office, Jumla, Bir Bahadur GT, said that the Karnali Highway is obstructed due to inundation, landslide and debris flow at 12 places, including at Khola, S-mode, Jhamla Khola, Dahi Khola and Hulma in the Kalikot section and at Patarkhola of Dailekh section.

He said the Office has mobilized excavators for clearing the debris and opening the road for traffic at these places.

Apart from the road transport, air service to Rara Airport of Mugu, Simkot of Humla, Jumla Airport and Jufal Airport of Dolpa remains suspended for a week now due to bad weather condition, said Shree Krishna Rijal, chief of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), Mugu.

Even the rural roads connecting one village to the next and to the district headquarters remain obstructed due to the incessant rains.