National
Sunkoshi River erosion collapses section of BP Highway
The Khurkot-Mulkot road remains blocked.Raj Kumar Karki
A section of the BP Highway near Kandhungri in ward 7 of Sunkoshi Rural Municipality collapsed on Sunday morning due to erosion by the Sunkoshi river. Around 50 metres of the road was damaged.
Superintendent of Police Govinda Raj Kafle, chief of the District Police Office, Sindhuli, said vehicular movement was possible until Saturday evening, but the collapse has rendered the road impassable.
Warning signs had been placed in the area as the river’s erosion reached the road’s edge. The collapse occurred near the Sunkoshi-Marin Diversion tunnel.
The Khurkot-Mulkot road was reopened by police, the army, and locals by Saturday evening. However, the road will remain blocked until the Sunkoshi river’s water level subsides.
Meanwhile, authorities are using machinery to clear landslide debris at Kamerephant on the Nepalthok-Khurkot section. The Roshi river also swept away about 60 metres of road near Nepalthok, where temporary road construction will only begin once the floodwaters recede.
Chief District Officer Lila Prasad Sharma said discussing options to resume traffic along the BP Highway are ongoing.