Kathmandu, July 31: The Araniko Highway, Nepal’s main trade route linking the Tatopani border with China, has remained completely blocked for the past two weeks after repeated landslides damaged the road at multiple locations, disrupting cross-border trade and leaving residents and businesses stranded.
The highway has been cut off by major landslides at the Eco landslide site in Kodari and at Daklang in Bhotekoshi Rural Municipality, Sindhupalchok.
According to the Charikot Road Division Office, repairs have yet to begin because continuous rainfall and flowing water have made the sites too dangerous for workers and heavy equipment. Engineer Arjun Nepali said the immediate challenge is controlling water drainage, adding that road reconstruction cannot begin until a long-term solution is found. Authorities are also concerned about the safety of nearby settlements threatened by further landslides.
At Daklang, repair efforts have also been delayed by protests from residents. They have refused to allow construction until the government guarantees the safety of their homes and properties, saying the entire settlement remains at risk.
On July 25, Infrastructure Development Minister Sunil Lamsal and Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Sobita Gautam visited the affected areas to assess the damage. During the visit, angry residents demanded immediate action. Lamsal assured them that the government would take responsibility for relocating vulnerable settlements and protecting people’s property, but his remarks triggered criticism after he suggested relocation without a clear plan.
The Eco landslide was created after the 2015 earthquake left deep cracks in the hillside. Since then, it has become a recurring threat during the monsoon, endangering settlements above the highway.
The government had already allocated Rs 484.9 million last November to stabilize the eco-landslide and improve the highway, with work scheduled for completion by mid July 2026. However, the project stalled after China offered to undertake a permanent solution. A Chinese technical team later surveyed the site using drones, but no work has begun since the assessment. As a result, neither the Chinese side nor the Nepali contractor has resumed construction, leaving the highway closed indefinitely and trade with China severely disrupted.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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