Fikkal (Ilam), July 13
A section of the Golakharka-Rajduwali road along the Mechi Highway in Ilam caved in following two days of rainfall. Ilam Chief District Officer Laxman Dhakal confirmed that the road section at Ilam Municipality-9 has been completely obstructed due to the damage, disrupting vehicular movement.
According to him, the route has been unfit for the operation of large vehicles for the past four days due to rainfall. Only two-wheelers were allowed to travel through the route until Sunday, and the movement of all types of vehicles has been completely halted since this morning, bearing in mind further damage to the road reported last night. With this development, the Ilam district headquarters, as well as Panchthar and Taplejung, have temporarily lost road connectivity with Jhapa. A large number of containers and other vehicles travelling between Ilam, Panchthar, Taplejung, and Jhapa have remained stranded on the banks of the local Mai River.
According to the CDO, the road is gradually collapsing, and the cases of landslides are also increasing due to continuous rainfall. “Considering the possible consequences, we have decided to completely close the road from today for an indefinite period.” Meanwhile, the diversion of the Jogmai River under the Tilkeni-Simalgola road, remaining as an alternative route to the Rajduwali road, was swept away by floods on Sunday.
The route has remained disrupted since then. Likewise, the diversion of the Puwa River under the Kechana-Kanchanjungha route, the shortest route (Mechi Corridor) connecting Ilam-Jhapa, was also washed away by floods, disrupting road connectivity between Ilam, Panchthar and Taplejung in Jhapa, according to Deputy Superintendent of Police at the District Police Ilam, Laxmi Bhandari. Bhawan Bhattarai, Chief of Road Division Ilam, said although civil structures required for the installation of Bailey bridges over Jogmai and Puwa rivers were prepared one and a half months ago, further progress has been delayed as essential tools to assemble Bailey bridges, provided free of charge by the Indian government, have not yet arrived
