Nepal imposes three-day ban on vehicular movement around Kathmandu after landslides

Kathmandu, Oct 4 The Nepali government has imposed a three-day ban on vehicles entering and leaving the Kathmandu Valley starting Saturday, citing the risks posed by incessant rainfall and landslides.

In a notice issued on Saturday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), a body under the Home Ministry, stated on Saturday that vehicular movement to and from the Kathmandu Valley will be prohibited on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.

The government's move comes at a time when many Nepalis, who had travelled to their hometowns to celebrate Dashain (Dussehra), the biggest festival of Nepali Hindus, were preparing to return to the Kathmandu Valley. The Himalayan country witnesses significant temporary migration from the Kathmandu Valley to various parts of the country during the festival, with people returning to the capital afterwards

Similarly, long-distance travel from five of the seven provinces — Koshi, Madhesh, Bagmati, Gandaki, and Lumbini — has also been prohibited due to risks related to landslides, flooding, and inundation.

The NDRRMA has urged local administrations in the affected districts, as well as security agencies, to ensure that vehicular movement is restricted.

According to the Metropolitan Traffic Police Division, several roads connecting Kathmandu with the rest of the country, including the busiest Prithvi Highway, have been blocked due to landslides. Vehicular movement has also been halted on several other highways, including the Koshi Highway in eastern Nepal, and highways connecting the border with China — such as the Araniko Highway, Pasang Lhamu Highway, and B P Highway, which serves as an alternative route to the southeastern Terai region — according to the Nepal Police.

According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, cloudy weather is expected across the country. "There is a possibility of moderate rainfall accompanied by thunder and lightning in many places of the hilly and Terai regions of Koshi, Madhesh, Bagmati, Gandaki, and Lumbini Provinces, and at a few places in the hilly and Terai regions of the remaining provinces," the department said in a statement.

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