KARNALI: The peak season for transporting apples produced in Jumla, Mugu and Humla is currently underway, with dozens of vehicles carrying apples heading daily to major cities, including Surkhet, Nepalgunj, Butwal, Chitwan, Pokhara, Kathmandu and Birgunj.
However, incessant rainfall and landslides have completely disrupted traffic along the Jumla-Kalikot-Dailekh section of the Karnali Highway, leaving vehicles loaded with apples stranded for the past three days.
Trucks that left Jumla expecting to reach Surkhet or Nepalgunj within a day or two have been stuck along the highway after landslides blocked the road at several locations. Traders are increasingly concerned that prolonged delays could cause the apples to spoil and result in significant financial losses.
Apple trader Makkar Shahi expressed concern after his vehicle was stranded following landslides, falling rocks and mudslides at several locations along the highway since Saturday.
He said he had entered the business hoping to earn a living in his home country but was now facing potential losses because of the road blockage.
“We don’t know when the road will reopen,” Shahi said. “They say it could take three or four days. By then, we are afraid the apples will rot.”
Hasta Bahadur Rawat, another apple trader, said he suffered losses of around Rs 1 million last year due to rain, floods and landslides. He said traders would continue to face losses unless a reliable road network was established.
According to Rawat, the government should provide relief to traders who suffer losses because of natural disasters. “The problems faced by traders will not be resolved until there is a reliable road,” he said, adding that traders could face similar losses this year.
Ram Bhakta Adhikari, chief of the Agricultural Development Office in Jumla, said monsoon-related disasters had created serious difficulties for apple traders.
“This year, around 19,500 metric tonnes of apples have been produced, and about 50 percent of the production has already been exported,” Adhikari said. “The losses are not limited to traders. The entire district is affected because dozens of vehicles carrying apples have been unable to move due to landslides blocking the highway.”
Shrawan Kumar Mahatara, chief of the Road Division Office in Jumla, said the Karnali Highway had been completely blocked since 7 pm Saturday following a landslide at Gagane Khola.
He said the road sustained further damage from landslides and falling rocks at Pili and S-Mode in Kalikot on Sunday. According to Mahatara, machinery and technical teams were mobilized from the office from 5 am Sunday to clear the blocked sections and restore traffic.
“Landslides involving mud, stones and rocks have caused significant damage at several locations along the highway,” Mahatara said. “As the highway is currently in a dangerous condition and completely blocked, we have requested passengers and the general public not to travel along this section until an official notice is issued.”
Mahatara said the risk of landslides, floods and road erosion remains high during the monsoon and urged travelers to exercise extreme caution. He added that although clearing the blocked sections has been given high priority, it could take around three days before traffic resumes normally.
According to Him Bahadur Khatri, police chief at the District Police Office in Kalikot, vehicles travelling from Jumla, Kalikot, Mugu and Humla towards Surkhet have been halted because of the road blockage.
Similarly, vehicles travelling from Surkhet towards the upper Karnali region have been stopped at locations including Rakam, Khidki Jyula and Dahi Khola in Dailekh.
The road blockage has left trucks carrying apples from the upper Karnali region stranded for three days, causing increasing hardship for traders, passengers and transport operators, police said.
Comment