KARNALI: The Karnali Highway has been blocked for the past three days due to a landslide at Gagane Khola in Shubhakalika Rural Municipality-1, Kalikot. The disruption has brought traffic to a standstill, affecting both travelers and traders.
Freight trucks transporting apples from Jumla to Surkhet, Nepalgunj, Kathmandu, and other parts of the country are stranded on the highway.
Traders are increasingly worried that the apples may rot before reaching their destinations. “No initiative has been taken to clear the road,” complained traveler Balaram Nepali.
According to Ram Bhakta Adhikari, Chief of the Jumla Agricultural Development Office, 23 trucks carrying apples have been stuck due to the landslide.
He estimates that around 184 metric tons of apples, valued at approximately Rs 130 million, are at risk of spoiling. Farmers have been urging authorities to expedite road clearance efforts.
Dipendra Chaudhary, Chief of the Jumla Road Division Office, said that large boulders from the landslide have yet to be cleared. “A team from the Nepali Army is being deployed from Manma to break the rocks,” he said, adding that ongoing rain has made the work more difficult.
Kalikot’s Assistant Chief District Officer, Janak Sharma, confirmed that a joint team — including the Nepali Army and Nepal Police — led by Chief District Officer Gokarna Raj Suyal, has reached the site to coordinate the clearing operation.
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