Kathmandu, June 20: The number of roads and highways in the nation witnessed traffic disruption due to monsoon-triggered calamity. 

Since the monsoon began on May 29, the Department of Roads (DoR) has recorded 104 instances of road disruptions across Nepal. Authorities have reopened 103 of them—49 fully and 54 as one-way operations. Only the section at the Binayi River in Nawalpur, part of the Mahendra Highway, remains completely closed.

Deputy Director General Prabhat K Jha said a new bridge over the Binayi River is under construction and expected to open by July 2. “It takes 28 days for the bridge to be ready. The period ends on July 1,” he told Republica.

Jha added that the department hasn't altered its response protocols but has enhanced road management by deploying new equipment and improving coordination with local agencies. “If we needed more machinery in a location than last year, we made sure to send it this time,” he noted.

Under its Equipment Development Plan, the department has dispatched 277 heavy machines—188 specialized and 89 general. Of these, 154 are already deployed and 123 remain on standby in regional offices. The fleet includes 71 Wheel Loaders and 63 Backhoe Loaders.

Despite these measures, infrastructure experts have slammed the government’s lack of preparedness. They cite delayed dry-season construction, weak coordination, and political interference.

Former DoR chief Arjun Jung Thapa said the Binayi bridge is a prime example of mismanagement. “The bridge collapsed in January. If construction had begun on time with prompt material imports, it would have been ready by now,” he said, stressing that alternatives should have been explored if work stalled.

Thapa also blamed the finance ministry for impeding progress. “They delay tenders, such as for the Dhulikhel-Dolalghat section, preventing timely completion,” he said.

People’s News Monitoring Service