Kathmandu, October 6
An indefinite ban has been imposed on nighttime vehicle movement along the short route connecting Hetauda and Kathmandu.
After continuous rainfall increased the risk of disasters, the Makwanpur District Administration Office, which had earlier (on October 4) suspended all vehicular movement on the Hetauda–Kathmandu routes, announced on Monday that only nighttime traffic along the short route would remain suspended until further notice.
Administrative Officer Gunaraj Neupane said the decision was made considering the improving weather and road conditions after the rains of October 3 and 4. Vehicle movement will be prohibited from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. each night until a new notice is issued.
However, essential service vehicles are exempt from the restriction. The short route between Hetauda and Kathmandu includes the Bhainse–Kulekhani–Fakhel–Dakshinkali–Balkhu and Bhainse–Kulekhani–Sisneri–Dakshinkali–Balkhu sections. There are also alternative routes available to reach Kathmandu via these roads.
Alternative connections through the Fakhel–Chakhel–Chandragiri–Matatirtha–Satungal section and the Kulekhani–Chitlang–Thankot Ganeshman route are also accessible via the short route. However, all these roads remain at high risk of landslides. Despite the Bagmati Province government’s efforts to upgrade the short route, the landslide risk persists.
Apart from the short route, there are two main highways connecting Hetauda and Kathmandu, the Tribhuvan Highway, the country’s oldest route via Hetauda–Naubise, and the Kanti Lokpath connecting to Satdobato in Lalitpur.
According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Pushkar Bogati of Makwanpur, the Tribhuvan Highway is open after minor obstructions were cleared, while the Kanti Lokpath remains blocked at Simat Ghumti in Bakaiya Rural Municipality–11 due to a landslide. Efforts are underway to clear the debris and reopen the road.
More than a thousand small vehicles usually travel daily between Hetauda and Kathmandu via routes other than the Tribhuvan Highway. Passengers from the Madhesh Province districts including Bara, Parsa, Rautahat, and Sarlahi, also frequently use the short route for regular travel.
