Uncertainty looms over operation of Narayanghat-Mugling road section

By Shaligram Nepal, Chitrwan, Sept.24: The operation of the Narayanghat-Mugling road section faces uncertainty. The dry landslide occurred on Tuesday afternoon, thereby disrupting the traffic on the road section. 

The traffic has been completely halted since 3 PM on Tuesday when a large portion of the hill fell onto the road at the Tuin Khola. 

Information Officer at the Division Road Office, Bharatpur Krishna Acharya, said that it is uncertain how long it would take to clear the pile of material, as more than 14,000 cubic meters had been piled up, and bring it into operation. 

"This is the largest landslide ever on this road section," he said. "We have continued the work of clearing it, but it is not possible to say how long it will take."

Immediately after the landslide, a team including Chief District Officer Ganesh Aryal and Police Chief Govinda Puri returned the passengers who were going from Muglin to Narayangadh.

Chief District Officer Aryal said, "After the landslide stopped, the passengers, we brought the passengers back to Narayangadh in a police bus. We are trying to operate the transport quickly, but there is no way to say when it will reopen."

Aryal and the security chief's team, which had been deployed at the landslide site since 4 PM, returned at 1 PM. 

Aryal said that they reached the site again on Wednesday morning and are trying to open the highway.

The Road Division Office, Bharatpur, has reported that small landslides are still occurring from above at the site of the landslide.

Acharya, information officer at the Division Road Office, Bharatpur, said that the remaining rocks have not completely fallen, and the possibility of a further major landslide from above is low.