Ilam. Vehicular movement to Ilam, Panchthar and Taplejung has come to a grinding halt due to the closure of both alternative roads linking Jhapa and the Mechi highway following incurring rain. The transportation of patients, passengers and cargo has also been affected due to the disruption.

Information Officer at the District Police Office, Laxmi Bhandari, said vehicular movement has not been possible after the landslide swept away the road at Rajduwali of Ilam municipality-9.

“The alternative route has also been obstructed after the diversion of Godak-Jogmai-Tilkeni was washed away by floods”, he said. ”

Pawan Bhattarai, chief of the Division Road Office, Ilam, said that the road repair work has been affected due to incessant rainfall. According to him, although preparations are underway to connect the bailey bridge over Jogmai and Puwakhola, the date for the arrival of materials and technicians from India has not been fixed yet.

Cargo vehicles have not been allowed to enter Ilam due to disruption, according to Ilam Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Chetnath Poudel (Krishna), president of the association, said that the entrepreneurs were managing their daily needs by transporting goods in small vehicles. He pointed out the need for the bodies concerned to take effective initiatives by prioritizing the operation of the road. ” he said.

The Rajduwali section of the Mechi Highway, which is the main lifeline of the Mechi region, has been under high risk of landslides during the rainy season for the past three years. The frequent subsidence of around half a kilometer road has severely affected the transport operation this year as well. As there is still a risk of landslide in Puwakhola and Kolbung areas, the vehicular movement could be further affected if more rain persists, said locals.

Transport entrepreneurs are in distress due to the woes of the road. “We go out every day hoping that the road will be opened. But after the rains, everything will come to a halt again,” said Ningma Sherpa, a driver of Ilam Municipality-7. ”