Landslides block highways at hundreds of spots; heavy machinery deployed to reopen Malekhu-Mugling

Floods and landslides have completely blocked seven national highways, including the Prithvi, BP and Kanti highways that connect Kathmandu Valley. According to the Department of Roads, six other road sections, including the East-West Highway, have one-way or partial vehicle movement.

On the East-West Highway, a landslide at Rajaiya in Makwanpur has restricted traffic to one lane. The department said obstructions have appeared at around 550 locations on highways across the country, and about 277 machines have been deployed nationwide to clear them.

To reopen the Prithvi Highway's Malekhu-Mugling section, about 10 pieces of heavy equipment, including dozers and excavators, have been mobilized. More than a dozen and a half locations on this section have been hit by landslides. In Dhading, landslides have blocked the road in both directions at Krishnabhir, Tingrangkhani, Bange and Chalise.

On the BP Highway, landslides and floods have washed away diversions at Mamti, Piple and Charsayebensi, among other places, halting traffic. There are also obstructions at various points on the Kanti Lokpath, Fakhel and Sisneri routes, which connect Hetauda to Kathmandu.

With the main roads to the capital closed, trucks and buses heading to Kathmandu have been diverted via the Tribhuvan Highway. A long queue of such vehicles has formed in Hetauda, and the administration has set time and load limits.

Security agencies and the Department of Roads have urged people not to travel on roads at risk of landslides except for essential work.