Jomsom:The Jomsom-Korala road has been completely blocked due to continuous rainfall and heavy snowfall since Saturday night, severely affecting road connectivity and cross-border trade at the Korala border point.
According to National News Agency Nepal, sections of the road from Kavre Bhir on the Myagdi-Mustang border to the Korala border have been disrupted by landslides and falling rocks. Heavy snowfall in the Korala Pass area in Upper Mustang has halted vehicular movement, as reported by the District Police Office (DPO), Mustang.
Police Inspector Santosh Basyal from DPO, Mustang, stated that landslides and large rocks have obstructed the road at Kavre Bhir and other locations in Ghansa of Thasang rural municipality-4. Additionally, landslides have blocked the road near Lower Ghansa and the Ghansa check post.
A flash flood near the apple orchard of the Temperate Horticulture Development Centre at Marpha in Gharpajhong rural municipality-4 has also disrupted road access, according to Mohan Singh Laalchan, Chairperson of the rural municipality. Efforts are being made to clear the road using heavy machinery.
Inspector Basyal also noted the blockage of the Jomsom-Panda Khola section towards the Korala border point by a rain-induced landslide. The road from Kagbeni to Chaile in Baragung Muktichhetra rural municipality-3 is obstructed at multiple points, and a debris-laden flood at Ghyakar Khola near Mustang Gate has severely damaged the road track.
Heavy snowfall has further complicated the situation in the Korala and Lo Manthang areas, as stated by Prakash Dhital, Police Inspector of the Armed Police Force and In-Charge of the Border Outpost of the APF. More than 200 containers are stranded at the Mustang Customs yard, impacting Nepal-China trade, with over a foot of snow accumulating in the Korala area.
The electricity supply in Mustang district has also been disrupted after floodwaters affected a 240-kilowatt hydropower plant at Chokhopani. The 33-kV transmission line from Dana in Myagdi to Kowang was disconnected due to heavy rain.
Moreover, the Myagdi section of the Beni-Jomson road has been disrupted at several points, according to Indra Singh Sherchan, Supervisor at the Beni-Jomsom-Korala Road Project.