Kathmandu. Public transport services were suspended in Kathmandu on Friday due to heavy rains in Nepal. The officers provided this information. Several highways connecting Nepal's capital were blocked due to landslides triggered by heavy rains in Kathmandu Valley and several other parts of the country since Thursday, officials said. Recent rains have led to fresh landslides in at least two districts that were badly hit by the disaster in August. According to the police, landslides have occurred at seven places on the Prithvi Highway in Dhading, due to which the road has been completely closed near Krishnabhir and Tigrang Khola.
Traffic disrupted on highways due to landslides
Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office spokesperson Superintendent of Police Naresh Raj Subedi said the movement of public vehicles has been stopped due to landslides on Prithvi and BP highways due to traffic disruption. The Prithvi Highway connects Kathmandu with Bagmati and Gandaki provinces, while the BP Highway connects the capital with Madhesh province and eastern Nepal.
In view of the weather forecast, authorities have also banned night time movement on the Kavrepalanchok section of the BP Highway, The Kathmandu Post reported. People have been advised not to use these roads between 5 pm and 5 am till Sunday.
According to the news, Chief District Officer Gopal Kumar Adhikari said that the situation will be assessed before deciding to extend the period of road closure even during the day. The Prithvi Highway and Narayanghat-Mughlin road in Chitwan have been closed till further orders due to landslides and the threat of further such incidents following continuous rains.
Operation banned due to rising water level
Chief District Officer Ganesh Aryal said that the traffic was initially stopped from 8 pm on Thursday to 5 am on Friday, but as the rain continued, the period of stopping the traffic was extended. According to this, the Chitwan section of the Prithvi Highway has been affected by landslides at many places.
According to the news of the newspaper 'The Rising Nepal', long distance buses are being stopped at the New Bus Park in Gongbu, Kathmandu to avoid traffic jams and ensure the safety of passengers while the debris removal work continues. Due to rising water level in rivers, traffic officials have instructed drivers to avoid parking their vehicles on river bank roads.
New challenge after flood in Nepal
Heavy rains have created a new challenge for the relief and reconstruction work in the areas devastated by the sudden severe flood in Bhotekoshi on August 26 in Nepal. Authorities have warned of new risks from landslides, flooding and debris flows.
The country's Hydrology and Meteorology Department has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall over many parts of the country from Friday to Sunday, with extreme rainfall likely over parts of Gandaki and Lumbini provinces. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, in collaboration with weather and flood forecasting agencies, is monitoring river levels and disaster risks.
Relief and reconstruction work arising due to rain
On August 26, flash floods devastated towns and villages in northern and central Nepal. The Bhotekoshi river, which flows southwards from the Himalayan border area, carried flood waters downstream, washing away houses, vehicles, roads and bridges and causing huge damage to hydroelectric projects.
More than 1,450 people died in the disaster, and approximately 5,600 people are still missing. The current rainfall is not similar to the flooding that occurred on August 26, but officials and weather experts have warned of new risks, including landslides, flooding, debris flows and further damage to roads and other infrastructure.