Sankhuwasabha, Oct 20: The Khandbari-Kimathanka road in Sankhuwasabha has resumed operation after remaining closed for three months following a massive landslide in Bhotkhola Rural Municipality.
The Nepali Army cleared the landslide debris in the Chhumsur area of Ward 2, restoring vehicular movement along the road that connects Nepal with China. Large boulders had blocked the route, disrupting transport and restricting access to the northern border region.
The North-South (Koshi) Highway Project had requested the army’s assistance after efforts to clear the massive rocks proved difficult. A team from the Chhumsur post under the army’s 1 Development Group was deployed to carry out the work.
The team used controlled explosives to break the boulders into smaller pieces, allowing the highway project team to remove the debris and reopen the road.
Project Director Ram Bahadur Gurung said explosives were necessary because of the size of the rocks deposited by the landslide.
The reopening restores an important transport link in eastern Nepal, where difficult terrain and landslides frequently disrupt road connectivity, particularly during the monsoon. The Khandbari Kimathanka section forms part of the Koshi Highway, a north-south route intended to connect Nepal’s eastern hills with the Chinese border at Kimathanka.
The road is expected to ease the movement of people and goods and improve access to the border area. Its reopening also restores a key link for trade and transport between Nepal and China through the northern part of Sankhuwasabha district.
However, the area’s steep terrain and exposure to landslides continue to pose risks to road connectivity, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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