A recent study carried out by a technical team has showed that seven places along the Narayangadh-Muglin road section are prone to landslides.

“The technicians recently completed their study regarding the threat of landslide along the road, and they came to the conclusion that there is a possibility of landslide in seven different places. The technical team will also recommend the necessary steps to control landslides. We will initiate works as per the recommendation,” said engineer Shiva Khanal, the project’s information officer. Khanal said they will complete the landslide control works before the rainy season.

The 33.2 km Narayangadh-Muglin road has turned into a landslide prone stretch after road widening project, which commenced in 2015, completed last year. As per the data of the Narayangadh-Muglin Road Project, 414 major landslides have occurred along the section since 2015, disrupting traffic movement for 596 hours.

“We attempted to control landslides through rock netting and bolting at 11 places last year. We conducted bio-engineering in other 12 places. Five additional landslide-prone areas have been detected recently and we will soon start working in those areas to control landslides,” said Khanal. The project said it spent Rs 150 million last year to control landslides along the section.

The technical team has pointed Gaighat, Ghumaune, Bhaludhunga, Jalbire, Charkilo, Topekhola and Kalikhola as landslide-prone areas.

“We are yet to decide the techniques to control landslides in these areas. It seems that bio-engineering can be useful at one place while other techniques like rock netting and bolting need to be adopted in other places,” said Khanal.

The road widening project, which was carried out with Rs3 billion aid from the World Bank, has upgraded and expanded the 33.2 km Narayangadh-Muglin road section to the Asian Highway standards. The road’s width was expanded to 9-11 metres from 5.5 metres.

The Narayangadh-Muglin road section that links Kathmandu with the Tarai bears the heaviest traffic in the country, accounting for 90 percent of Nepal’s total international trade traffic. More than 10,000 vehicles ply the road every day.