Landslides ahead of Dashain festival threaten travel safety

Kathmandu, Sept. 25: As Dashain festival nears, passenger movement across the country has surged, but landslides on major highways have intensified travel hazards, leaving many stranded en route to their hometowns. On Monday night at 11:00 pm, a dry landslide near Jawang Khola on the Nagdhunga-Mugling road in Dhading disrupted traffic. After 16 hours of clearance, two-way traffic resumed Tuesday afternoon, though risks persist. 

As of Wednesday, according to the Department of Roads (DoR), highways and roads have still been blocked in eight places. Kedar Prasad Nepal, Chief of the Nagdhunga-Mugling Road Project (West Section), said that large rocks and new landslide zones have complicated recovery efforts. Affected passengers remain stranded along Dhading and Chitwan segments.

Meanwhile, the Nagdhunga-Malekhu section has experienced minor landslides but remains operational, according to Keshav Prasad Ojha, head of the road project’s eastern section. 

Ojha confirmed that technical teams and machinery are stationed at high-risk zones, and traffic continues in both directions despite rising festival-related congestion.

Daily vehicle movement along this route exceeds 15,000, heightening vulnerability during landslide events.

The Tuin Khola section of the Narayangadh-Mugling road remains particularly precarious. Subharaj Neupane, head of the Federal Road Supervision and Monitoring Office, cited complex terrain, lingering impacts of the 2015 earthquake, and unplanned auxiliary roads as primary factors exacerbating landslide risks. 

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Cracks from past road expansion and hilly terrain collapse further threaten safe passage. Officials have pledged to study and reinforce this segment once traffic normalises. Discussions are ongoing regarding the potential use of the Nagdhunga-Sisnokhola tunnel to facilitate passenger movement during the festival, said Neupane.

Elsewhere, the Kodari section of the Araniko Highway, blocked since July 17, reopened Monday, allowing goods transport through Tatopani customs point for Dashain. Chief of the Road Division Office, Dolakha, Narayan Dutta Bhandari noted ongoing improvements for container traffic and flood mitigation, though heavy rainfall could still trigger landslides. The Narayangadh-Butwal Daunne section and the BP Highway are currently stable, with machines and technical personnel on standby to address slippery slopes and residual flood impacts. Approximately 10,000 vehicles traverse the BP Highway during Dashain.

The Department of Roads has already recommended alternative routes including Naubise-Hetauda (Tribhuvan Highway), Satdobato-Baguan-Lendanda-Hetauda (Kanti Highway), Gaindakot-Rampur-Bhimad (Kaligandaki Corridor), Phirkekhola-Dhadingbeshi-Salyantar, Arughat-Ambukhaireni, and Pokhara-Butwal roads.

Saroj Sitauala, Senior Vice President of the National Federation of Nepal Transport Entrepreneurs, warned that ongoing road hazards are delaying passenger journeys, underscoring the urgent need for continuous monitoring and rapid response during the festival season.