Kavrepalanchok. The flooded Roshi River following the rain on Friday evening swept away a temporary road along the BP Highway. Though it was said to bring the diverted road into operation temporarily after the water level receded, it could not be completed due to incessant rain.

The District Police Office, Kavrepalanchowk has banned vehicular movement until the highway is opened from Saturday night. The flood in the Roshi River following the rain on Friday evening had washed away a diversion of around four kilometers from Chaukidanda to Nepalthok of Roshi area. As a result, the highway has been closed since Friday evening.

Though a plan was made to construct the road temporarily with the help of the Department of Roads, Nepal Police, Traffic Police and locals on Saturday, it could not come into operation due to incessant rainfall on Saturday, said Kavrepalanchowk Chief SP Komal Shah. According to him, efforts would be made to operate vehicular movement by constructing diversions in the area from Sunday morning if the water current of the river recedes.

According to the Division Road Office, Bhaktapur, four kilometers of the 18-km diversion constructed along the road section was washed away by the floods and landslides last year. Though the reconstruction of the diversion had begun since Saturday morning after the water level in the river started receding, it has been affected due to incessant rainfall, said office chief senior divisional engineer Suman Yogesh. According to him, the flood has not caused any damage in the places where permanent reconstruction has begun.

After the floods and landslides in September last year completely damaged the Chaukidanda-Nepalthok road section, the vehicles were operated by constructing temporary roads and diversions from the river. “We had started constructing a diversion at the place swept away by the flood at night but due to the incessant rain, efforts to resume vehicular movement by Saturday evening were unsuccessful,” Yogesh said. According to him, landslides and floods at Biruwadanda, Kaldhunga, Chaukidanda and Mangaltar have washed away the road at different places along the highway.

With the help of the Department of Roads, Nepal Police, Traffic Police and locals, the removal of the landslide debris and diversion started since Saturday morning after the flood level in the Roshi River started receding. The deceased has been identified as Kunsang Tamang, 40, of Roshi Rural Municipality-7, who was working along the highway at around 9.00 pm.

According to the Area Police Office, Mangaltar, the supervisor of the office, Tamang has been working at night along the under-construction BP Highway. Similarly, seven people were rescued from the flooded Roshi rivulet nearby Chaukidanda, according to the District Police Office, Kavrepalanchowk. According to the police, a motorcycle and an electric vehicle were swept away by the floods.

Meanwhile, the traffic police had put the vehicles on hold since Friday evening after the road was disrupted at different parts of the Roshi area along the BP Highway owing to rainfall. Vehicles have been put on hold at Kavrebhanjyang and Bhakunde of Dhulikhel and Nepalthok and Mangaltar on the way to the capital from the east.