Editorial | A single landslide has choked Kathmandu for weeks. Dependable backup routes must be built
Summary
A landslide on the Prithvi Highway has choked Kathmandu’s main supply route for two weeks, exposing the capital’s lack of dependable backup roads. The editorial calls for faster completion of the Kathmandu-Tarai/Madhesh Expressway and other alternative highways to prevent repeated disruptions.
Key Points
- A landslide in the Krishnabhir area of Dhading collapsed part of the Prithvi Highway and has disrupted Kathmandu’s supplies for two weeks.
- The Prithvi Highway remains the only practical route for lorries, gas bullets and petroleum tankers, while alternative highways are too slow or unsuitable for heavy vehicles.
- The Kathmandu-Tarai/Madhesh Expressway, under construction by the Nepali Army since 2017, is still less than half complete and needs urgent acceleration.
- The editorial urges the government to fund and complete backup routes so future landslides do not repeatedly isolate Kathmandu.
