National
Rain affects vehicular movement
Torrential rain on Thursday impacted major highways and road sections in several parts of the country, affecting the vehicular movement along major highways and road sections. Although there were no major incidents of severe impact on traffic, the Department of Roads (DoR) has increased alertness.Torrential rain on Thursday impacted major highways and road sections in several parts of the country, affecting the vehicular movement along major highways and road sections. Although there were no major incidents of severe impact on traffic, the Department of Roads (DoR) has increased alertness.
Road sections along the Araniko and BP highways were disrupted following landslide and floods on Thursday. Traffic was partially disrupted along road sections in Ilam, Hetauda, Parbat-Baglung-Beni and the Siddhartha Highway. The road sections were closed for a couple of hours and that traffic has resumed in most of the places by Thursday evening, the DoR said.
A 70-metre stretch of the recently widened Narayangadh-Muglin road in Gaighat, Chitwan, has started to crack and sink. Officials said the road started sinking from Tuesday, affecting traffic on the country’s busiest motorway. According to DoR Spokesperson Mukti Gautam, engineers are studying possible causes of sink and crack in the road that has been recently widened. “There won’t be much problem if the situation has been caused by erosion of soil. But the situation will be critical if it is the case of rock anchor,” Gautam said.
This is the second time that the Narayangadh-Muglin road has witnessed premature damage in four days.
On Sunday, a 50-metre section of the road in Jugedi, also in Chitwan district, had slipped.
Gautam told the Post that the DoR has positioned loaders and excavators, among other road building equipment, in several strategic locations to ensure vehicular movement. “We have ability to clear minor landslides within a couple of hours,” Gautam said, but added that there could be further disruption of traffic if the torrential rain continues.