Bhotkhola rural municipality chairman Wang Cheder Bhote said that the road is the external communication route of Bhotkhola rural municipality.
The north-south Koshi highway has been completely blocked for the past one month due to a large landslide that occurred along with the incessant rain. Makalu Rural Municipality-3 Sammatar Rural Municipality-3 after a landslide washed away about 500 meters of the road, the connection with higher parts including Bhotkhola Rural Municipality was completely broken.
Bhotkhola rural municipality chairman Wang Cheder Bhote said that the road is the external communication route of Bhotkhola rural municipality. He said, 'When the main festival of Dasain is approaching, the people have to face a big problem not only in transportation, but also in bringing essential materials and transporting the sick.' According to him, the locals are now forced to travel on foot risking their lives. As the supply of food, fuel and daily consumables stopped after the road was blocked, the shortage started to appear. As Dasain is approaching, local traders are also worried about not being able to bring essential materials for the festival.
As the road was blocked, the passenger vehicles were stopped on the road, while the goods transporters were stuck in between, causing more damage to the traders and consumers. Locals who were forced to cross the landslides complained that they had problems getting medicine and emergency supplies.
Ram Bahadur Gurung, the head of the North-South Koshi road project, informed that there was difficulty in maintenance because the landslide fell in a very dangerous place. According to him, since the continuous rains have made the river unstable, the risk of deploying workers and machines has increased. He said, 'Even though the landslide removal work has started, the work could not be continued due to the falling of stones.'
Gurung clarified that there is no possibility of putting the road into operation before Dasain. According to him, the road will not be opened immediately as it will take more time to remove the landslide. "Only after the water stops, the road repair work can be carried out by using a big machine," he said.
After the highway was blocked, the movement and treatment of the residents of Makalu, Bhotkhola, Kimathanka and the surrounding areas were stopped. The people's representatives of Bhotkhola have requested to facilitate the movement of the people, even if it is by constructing an alternative road or footpath.
Local residents have asked the government and related agencies to take immediate action. Koshi road is considered the lifeline of Bhotkhola region. As the North-South Koshi highway has been closed for a long time, people's lives have become chaotic. Locals say that there is an urgent need for effective initiatives and quick repairs as there are more problems during the festival.
