Banking News – Although vehicles have begun operating on the damaged Beni-Jomsom road by constructing a temporary track after erosion by the Kaligandaki River and landslides, the suffering of passengers and drivers has not ended. Traffic jams lasting for hours have been occurring as vehicle pressure increases on the narrow, muddy, and risky road.

The floods and landslides following continuous rainfall from Ashoj 8 to 11 had swept away various sections of the road connecting Myagdi and Mustang under the Kaligandaki Corridor. Vehicles began operating from Thursday evening after constructing temporary one-way tracks at locations eroded by the river and clearing landslides.

With the road coming into operation, about five hundred cargo containers and trucks that came after customs clearance from Upper Mustang and the Korala border point of China are stranded on the road waiting to reach their destinations. Long traffic jams have been occurring on the road as vehicle pressure toward Mustang from Beni has also increased. Traders and drivers are in trouble as containers carrying clothes, food grains, and fruits imported from China for Dashain and the winter season remain stuck on the road for a long time. Some vehicles carrying fruits in particular have seen their goods begin to rot. Road obstruction has caused delays in goods transportation, and businesspersons have had to bear financial losses.

Tejaswi Sharma, Chief of the Beni-Jomsom-Korala Road Project, stated that vehicular movement is stopped during working hours as repair and improvement work on the damaged road is ongoing.

“As per the action plan to operate all types of vehicles from Monday, when only light vehicles were being operated for testing, the indiscriminate operation of cargo trucks, tourist and passenger vehicles on the road affected the repair work,” she said. “Vehicles are getting stuck in some places including Tilkenechaur as the initially repaired road turns muddy.”

Drivers and passengers are terrified by the fear of landslides occurring again on the weak road and movement being obstructed. Binod Poudel, a technician of the Beni-Jomsom-Korala Road Project, informed that work on improving about 10 kilometers of road in the Kunauta-Pokharebagar area has been intensified. According to him, the target is to complete repairs by Ashoj 26 and make it suitable for smooth operation.

Long road obstructions have caused problems in the supply of food grains and cooking gas in Mustang, as well as affected electricity, telephone, and internet services. Full improvement of the road appears necessary to make the supply of daily consumer goods and public life easier. Among other border points used for trade with China, Rasuwagadhi is closed due to floods and landslides, and movement through the Tatopani border point has not been possible as expected, making the Korala border point an important alternative. However, even though goods are imported through the border point, problems in transportation and travel persist as the Beni-Jomsom road is not smooth. Even though vehicles have started operating through the temporary track, movement between Myagdi and Mustang and trade with China does not appear likely to become easy until the road is fully improved.