Landslides obstruct most rural roads in Rasuwa

RASUWA, September 1: Most of the rural roads in Rasuwa district have been obstructed due to landslide following incessant rainfall.

Locals of northern parts—Briddim, Khamjing, Thuman and Thulosyaphru- are forced to walk for hours to travel from one settlement to the other due to disruption of vehicular movement.  

Similarly, rural roads at Dandagaun, Thulogaun, Thulobhorle-Parchyang, Langbu, Saramthali and Patikharka as well as other places have also been obstructed, according to the District Police Office. 

Locals are compelled to transport daily essentials and construction materials using porters. Chief District Officer, Debendra Pandey, said that though the landslide took place frequently this year, traffic from Syaubari to Rasuwagadhi has been resumed continuously. 

Big and small landslips are frequent on most of the sections of about 50 kilometres of the highway from Syaubari to Rasuwagadhi as its topography is comparatively steep. Rasuwa District Police chief Pandey said debris of big and small landslides were cleared from the road at more than 150 points on this stretch of the highway since June 15 to date.

Rasuwagadhi is the only major transit for facilitating trade with China after the closure of the Tatopani transit point in Sindhupalchok after the obstruction of the road to this transit point due to the floods. 

Chief District Officer Ishwori Prasad Dhakal said works have been carried out with utmost priority for making all the roads in the district operational.

However, there is the problem of the roadway becoming obstructed almost daily along 16 kilometres from Syaphrubesi to Rasuwagadhi.

The 111 Megawatt Rasuwagadhi and the 120 Megawatts Langtang Bhotekoshi hydroelectricity projects as well as the Department of Roads have been removing the landslide debris and opening the roads.