13 days after the flood damage in Bhotekoshi, the Syafrubensi-Rasuwagadhi road has started one-way operation. About one km of road was washed away by flood at different places and traffic was stopped for 16 km from Syafrubansi to Rasuwagadhi. The road connection between Timure and Rasuwagadhi was broken. From operating an ambulance to transporting food, there were problems.

According to the head of Road Supervision and Monitoring Office, Shubraj Neupane, movement of small vehicles has started from Sunday.

'Work was planned to be put into operation from Friday, but due to the Lingling landslide, the Bhotekoshi, which is below the road, had to be moved to a 50-meter bhir,' says Neupane. Neupane says that road improvement work will be done in the second phase for large and cargo vehicles. "We will first conduct a detailed study on where and how to operate large vehicles," he says, "we will also build roads until the Miteri bridge connecting Nepal-China is completed." 

The construction of the road section from Syafrubansi to Rasuwagadhi was started with a two-lane grant from the Chinese government, but the work could not accelerate. "It was supposed to take a month and a half to open the road washed away by the flood, but we were able to open it in a short time," he says, "The work of upgrading the road will be done through the grant of the Chinese government." 

He said that after discussing how to work in the second phase, the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport and the Department of Roads will come to a conclusion soon. "The festival is approaching, cargo vehicles carrying goods from the border will have to pass through this road," says Neupane, "We have not decided whether China will build the road, we will discuss it and come to a decision soon." "The contract was signed in 2019, but there was a delay due to covid-19," he says, "The matter of building the road is in the hands of the Chinese government, we are taking steps to make it faster." After the flood, only 3 km from Syafrubensi and 4 km from Timure to Rasuwagadhi were open. The 9 km road was washed away, cracked somewhere. 

Kaisang Nurpu Tamang, Chairman of Gosainkund Rural Municipality, says that with the opening of the road, it has become easier to carry daily necessities to the village. "Until now, there was food in the village," he said, "If the road had not opened for a week, it would have been a problem, but now that problem has been resolved." The road connection with Timure was cut off after the flood in Bhotekoshi washed away the road on June 24. As import-export has stopped, Rasuwa customs point is now deserted.

Director General Jaisi says that China is positive to build a temporary belay bridge to connect Nepal-China within two months. According to him, the road improvement work will also be completed under the second phase within that period. Last Thursday, Physical Infrastructure and Transport Minister Devendra Dahal met the Chinese Ambassador Chan Song at the ministry and asked him to speed up the construction of the flood-damaged Syafrubensi-Rasuwagadhi road and the Miteri bridge connecting the two countries.