KATHMANDU: Due to heavy rains and harsh weather, transportation services in five districts of Karnali Province have been entirely suspended for a week. Both air and ground transportation are hampered, with flights to four airports in the impacted regions canceled and cars unable to proceed on the Karnali Highway and Karnali Corridor owing to landslides and flooding.
The disruption has had significant impacts on the local population. For instance, Mohan Shahi from Chhayanath Rara Municipality-10 missed his Teacher Service Commission exam on July 6 in Surkhet because he could not reach the exam center. Similarly, many others have missed exams, and patients and employees needing to travel to provincial and federal capitals for medical treatment or important work are stranded.
The blockage is also hurting the availability of everyday necessities and building supplies. Kamal Bahadur Budha, President of the Mugu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, raised worry about future shortages if road transportation is not restored quickly. According to the Road Division Office in Jumla, the Karnali Highway is obstructed in 12 spots due to landslides and debris flows, and efforts are underway to clear these obstacles with excavators.
Shree Krishna Rijal, chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) in Mugu, said that in addition to problems with road transportation, inclement weather has caused the suspension of aviation services to Rara Airport in Mugu, Simkot in Humla, Jumla Airport, and Jufal Airport in Dolpa. The unceasing rains further isolate the impacted areas by blocking rural routes that connect communities to district offices.
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