The number of passengers leaving Kathmandu Valley for Dashain has continued to rise. Travellers are exiting through various checkpoints, but recent landslides have worsened conditions on highways already congested with heavy traffic. Many have been left stranded overnight on the roads.

A dry landslide near Jabangkhola in Dhading blocked the Nagdhunga-Muglin road section at around 11pm on Monday. Traffic resumed only after 16 hours on Tuesday afternoon.

Kedar Prasad Nepal, chief of the project’s western section, said the road has reopened for two-way traffic, but the risks remain. “Even before we managed to clear the landslide at Tuinkhola on the Narayanghat-Muglin section, another one hit Jabangkhola, about 1.5 kilometres towards Dhading from Mouwakhola,” he said. “Large boulders made clearance difficult, and the threat of further slides is still there.”

Small landslides have also occurred along the Nagdhunga-Malekhu section, but traffic is still moving. “This section does not have major problems. We have deployed machines and technical staff in potential high-risk areas,” said Keshav Prasad Ojha, chief of the eastern section. He added that with the surge in outbound traffic, authorities are working to keep the roads as clear as possible.

More than 15,000 vehicles use the Nagdhunga-Muglin road each day, but travellers are being forced to continue their journeys under the constant threat of landslides. Since Tuesday, passengers heading home for the festival have been stranded at several points in Dhading and Chitwan. At Tuinkhola along the Narayanghat-Muglin road, the risk of further landslides has yet to be brought under control.

The section has faced repeated closures and reopenings. It was blocked from Friday evening, reopened one-way on Sunday, and resumed two-way traffic on Monday. Another major landslide on Tuesday afternoon shut it down again.

According to the Department of Roads, clearance may not be completed by Wednesday. The Chitwan District Administration Office has urged vehicles to use alternative routes.

When asked why the risk at Tuinkhola remains high, Subharaj Neupane, chief of the Federal Road Supervision and Monitoring Office, said, “The geological structure on the Muglin-Narayanghat side is very complex and fragile.”

He explained that recurring slides are largely due to the impact of the 2015 earthquake and the haphazard construction of local roads connecting settlements above the highway. He recalled that last year, at Simaltal along the same road, two passenger buses were swept away in a massive landslide.

He said that hills fractured during past road expansion works continue to collapse in new locations. “The risks at Tuinkhola remain. Once we fully reopen the two-way section, we will immediately study the causes and begin improvements to prevent similar disruptions during the next monsoon,” Neupane said.

The Department of Roads said a decision on running passenger buses through the under-construction Nagdhunga-Sisnekhola tunnel during Dashain will be made only after consultations with contractors and experts.

Spokesperson Prabhat Kumar Jha said the Kodari section of the Araniko Highway reopened on Monday afternoon, after being blocked since August 2, which had shut the Tatopani customs point. With the reopening, goods for Dashain have started entering Nepal from China. “The road has opened, and large container trucks are moving. Improvements, including drainage works, are ongoing, but risks remain during heavy rainfall,” said Narayan Dutta Bhandari, chief of the Dolakha road division office.

The Narayanghat-Butwal section at Daunne, which often causes problems during the monsoon, is currently operating smoothly, the project office said. Road Department Director General Bijay Jaisi added that machines and technical staff are on standby to assist vehicles that slip or stall on uphill sections during rain.

The BP Highway is also open for traffic. Last year, floods washed away 12 kilometres of the highway, disrupting travel. Around 10,000 vehicles use the BP Highway during Dashain.

Saroj Sitaula, senior vice-president of the Federation of Nepalese National Transport Entrepreneurs, said landslides have made managing passengers difficult. “Buses cannot cross Muglin, leaving travellers stranded midway. That is why we advised against opening advance ticket bookings for Dashain. If tickets had been sold earlier, transporting passengers would have been even more challenging,” he said.

He said that arrangements will be made once vehicles reach Kathmandu. “The biggest problem is the landslide at Tuinkhola. With Dashain underway and passenger flow high, government efforts to manage the roads face persistent challenges. We urge travellers to journey cautiously,” Sitaula said. Around two million people leave Kathmandu Valley for Dashain annually.