Palpa. The Palpa-Butwal road section along the Siddhartha Highway has been obstructed since this morning due to incessant rain last night. The road has been obstructed due to landslides at various places under this road section.

Chief of the District Traffic Office, Praveen Acharya, said that the road has been blocked since morning due to landslides at various places from Bartung to Siddhababa area. According to him, landslides have occurred near Dobhan Siddhababa Temple of Tinau Rural Municipality-3, Joddhara and Bartung. Work is underway to remove the landslide.

Traffic Chief Acharya said that although one-way traffic has been operated by removing the landslide from time to time, the landslide has not stopped due to continuous rain. “Hundreds of vehicles have been stopped due to the landslide, we have sent one-way vehicles in a short while after clearing the landslide, but there is no situation to fully operate the road as the landslide has not stopped,” he said. Vehicular movement has come to a complete halt due to the landslide again. ’

According to the police, the road has been blocked again due to the landslide and it has become difficult to remove the landslide due to continuous rain. All vehicles on the North-South Highway have come to a standstill due to the closure of the highway. Vehicular movement from Syangja, Pokhara, Baglung, Gulmi, Arghakhanchi and different parts of the district have been obstructed due to landslides. Earlier, the road had been obstructed several times due to landslides in the Dobhan area of the highway. One person was killed and another injured when a motorcycle was washed away by a landslide on Tuesday.

The District Administration Office has urged all to remain on high alert as the risk of landslides and falling stones in different parts of the road section continues. The administration has asked people to travel cautiously as the road is risky due to landslides and boulders, especially in Siddhababa area and surrounding areas of Bartung.

Issuing a press release, the administration has also urged the people not to operate night vehicles as there is a possibility of heavy damage to passengers and vehicles due to landslides on the road÷ highway. The administration has asked not to ply on Siddhababa Ramdi road section in Palpa, Tansen-Ridi section of Tansen-Ridi-Tamghas road section, Rampur Humin Tanhu-Aryabhanjyang road section, Harthok Chhahra-Tingire road section and other main auxiliary roads and rural roads under Siddhartha Highway.

According to Rishiram Subedi, information officer and assistant chief district officer at the District Administration Office, Palpa, the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology has predicted more rainfall than the average this year. Passengers, goods carriers, private and public vehicles have been requested not to operate during the night as there is a possibility of stones and soil falling during the night.