Traffic obstructed due to landslide on Beni-Jomsom road

Myagdi, July 4: Landslides that have taken place in various places of Raghuganga and Annapurna Rural Municipalities of Myagdi traffic on the Beni-Jomsom road connecting Mustang with the national highway has been affected.

The residents people of Raghuganga and Annapurna Rural Municipality, Mustang, as well as pilgrims and tourists, are stuck in traffic jams for hours due to the landslide. Landslides in Baisari, Siruwari in Raghuganga and Guithevir of Annapurna Rural Municipality have affected travelling along the road, said Chair of Annapurna Rural Municipality, Bharatkumar Pun.

The landslide that took place in Baisari two years ago has reoccurred. Last year, a driver was killed in a Baisari landslide. On Tuesday, a van with registration number BA.026 Cha. 7053, which was going from Jomsom to Beni, was buried in the landslide.

Meanwhile, there is no possibility of transportation through alternative roads in the landslide-affected areas. Due to the lack of direct traffic on the seventy-six kilometres of Beni-Jomsom road, the export of agricultural products including potatoes has been affected. According to Beni-Jomsom-Korala road project manager Dhruvakumar Jha, there are 14 landslide spots along the road.

“There is a problem in working on it due to lack of budget for landslide and erosion prevention”, he said, Chief District Officer Laxman Dhakal, who inspected the site of the Baisari landslide on Wednesday, said that the Department of Road’s equipment, technicians, workers as well as security agencies have been mobilized for short-term control of landslides and resume traffic in the area.