Kaligandaki corridor in Gulmi still blocked after six days

The Kaligandaki corridor road in Gulmi, blocked due to rain, has still not reopened even after six days. The road was completely blocked after a landslide fell from above at Rakse in Kaligandaki Rural Municipality-2 last Thursday night.

After the rain stopped, local authorities and the Road Division Office, Palpa, have since Monday been coordinating to clear the landslide using dozers and excavators. According to rural municipality chair Bed Bahadur Thapa, large boulders have fallen at four to five locations in the Harmichaur-Arbeni-Purtighat area, making it difficult to reopen the road immediately.

The local government is clearing the landslide on the branch road, while the Road Division Office is working rapidly on the main road. Chair Thapa said that since the landslide on the main road is large, it may still take two to three more days for it to fully reopen.

A police team from the local Purtighat police post has also been deployed to the landslide area. According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, light rain is likely at one or two places in the mountainous and hilly regions of Lumbini and Gandaki provinces tomorrow.