KATHMANDU: Passengers traveling along the BP Highway (Dhulikhel–Sindhuli–Bardibas) are facing daily hardship, particularly in the areas of Katunje Besi, Mangalatar, and Nepal Thok, where floods and landslides caused severe damage.
With the Dashain festival approaching, thousands of travelers rely on this key route. However, the road remains dusty and difficult to navigate.
After last year’s Roshi Khola flood washed away sections of the highway, a temporary diversion was built, but the unpaved and dusty track has made journeys uncomfortable and unsafe.
Officials say the damaged sections of the highway cannot be fully restored without a clear government decision and financial assistance. Until then, travelers will have to rely on the rough diversion road.
According to the Division Road Office in Bhaktapur, reconstruction of different damaged sections from Bhakunde to Nepal Thok is estimated to cost around Rs 9.66 billion. However, funding has not yet been secured.
In Kavrepalanchok district, eight kilometers of the 12-kilometer road stretch between Chauki Danda (Namo Buddha) and Kaladhunga (Roshi Rural Municipality) was completely destroyed by the floods.
The 160-kilometer BP Highway, constructed with grant assistance from the Government of Japan, was formally handed over to Nepal on July 3, 2015, after being completed in phases since fiscal year 1996/97.
Photo: Nepal Photo Library
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