Lamjung. Vehicular movement has been banned on the Besisahar-Chame road and the Mid-Hill Highway from today citing increased risk to travel.

A meeting of the District Security Committee Lamjung held on Monday banned the operation of vehicles except essential ones till mid-July to minimize the possible loss of life and property due to the disaster induced by the monsoon this year.

Lamjung’s Assistant Chief District Officer Thamman Singh Gautam said, “The vehicular movement along the Besisahar-Chame road section from Besisahar to the border of Manang district has been banned from 6:00 pm to 6:00 am every day and from 7:00 pm to 5:00 am every day in the Bimare Bhanjyang area of Sundarbazaar-Bhorletar road section of the Pushpalal Mid-Hill Highway.” ”

However, essential vehicles will be allowed to ply on this road, he said. The District Administration Office, Lamjung, while making public the decision of the meeting, apologized for the inconvenience caused.

Assistant Chief District Officer Gautam shared that the vehicular movement has been banned to minimise risk during the night in view of the possibility of heavy rainfall from today. He said measures have been adopted to minimise road accidents in the district as there is a possibility of landslide during the rainy season.

The total distance from Besisahar to Manang is 35 kilometres from Myardi Khola and 65 kilometres from Besisahar to Chame Manang. It is a road for the locals of the northern part of the district and the citizens of Manang. The road section which is the only road linking Lamjung and Manang has been facing a lot of problems due to landslides taking place at different places every year.

Locals have been compelled to travel through helicopters as the road has been obstructed for a long time. Similarly, the 48-km stretch from Rainas Municipality to the border of Madhya Nepal Municipality and Kaski District is 48 kilometers. The problem of landslides and road obstruction has been reeling especially at Bimire Bhanjyang of Madhyanepal Municipality-10. Locals of Manang and Lamjung especially use this road to commute to and from Pokhara.