Rain triggers landslides, washes away roads and disrupts travel across Nepal

Rain and landslides disrupted several transport links in Nepal. The damage mattered because roads became dangerous, traffic slowed, and some communities lost their only practical connection to nearby areas. Travel was also interrupted on mountain routes and trekking trails.

On the Prithvi Highway, mud and small landslides blocked sections at Krishnabhir, Chalise near Gajuri, and near the Khatauti River. At Parewa Bhir near Malekhu, falling debris threatened vehicles while the river eroded the road below. In Gorkha, the Budhigandaki River destroyed a temporary diversion at Khorlabesi, cutting the Larke road.

The washed-away diversion also severed links between three wards of Dharche and Chumnubri Rural Municipality. Trekkers were held up at Khambachen, Ghunsa, Phale and Pangpema. Security personnel managed traffic, while excavators cleared debris, but continuing rain and fresh slides made roads difficult to keep open.

A landslide happens when soil, rock, mud or other debris moves downhill under gravity. It can range from a small slide blocking a road to a larger collapse that buries buildings. Landslides matter because they can damage transport routes, homes and public infrastructure within a short time.

Heavy rain sends water into soil and cracks in slopes. Saturated ground becomes heavier and often loses strength. Water can also wash soil away from beneath a slope or road, removing support. In the article, rain caused mud and small landslides along the Prithvi Highway, while debris from a quarry washed into homes in Kavre.

Rainfall was still continuing when excavators tried to clear the highway. Fresh slides made it difficult to keep the route fully open. The incidents show why unstable slopes need close monitoring during prolonged rain, especially where roads, rivers and settlements lie below them.

The reported damage affected roads, homes, belongings and travel, but no deaths or livestock losses were reported. The scale ranged from mud blocking highway lanes to a major river crossing being swept away. Two families in Kavre were affected and moved to relatives’ homes early in the morning.

At Khorlabesi in Gorkha, the Budhigandaki River washed away around 20 metres of the temporary road, making even pedestrian passage impossible. In Kavre, quarry debris buried a single-storey house up to its roof. Runoff entered two other houses, washing away household belongings, while a cattle shed collapsed.

The Prithvi Highway also suffered repeated blockages at several locations. In addition, a temporary diversion failed and road links between three wards of Dharche and Chumnubri were severed. These figures capture both direct physical damage and the wider disruption caused by the rain.

Roads and temporary crossings connect communities to one another. When floods or landslides destroy them, vehicles may stop, pedestrians may be unable to cross, and emergency or commercial movement can be delayed. The effect is larger than the damaged road itself because entire settlements can become isolated.

At Khorlabesi, the Budhigandaki River swept away about 20 metres of the temporary diversion. The loss made pedestrian passage impossible and cut road links between three wards of Dharche and Chumnubri Rural Municipality. On the Prithvi Highway, traffic had to move one direction at a time through blocked sections.

Travelers can also be stranded. Trekkers were held up at Khambachen, Ghunsa, Phale and Pangpema on the Kanchenjunga trail. Continued rain can prolong the disruption, while rebuilding crossings may remain difficult if the river keeps changing course or fresh landslides occur.

Nepal’s mountain roads cross steep, uneven terrain where gravity already pulls soil and rock downhill. Roads often need cuts through hillsides and routes beside rivers. During heavy rain, these exposed slopes and riverbanks can become unstable, making landslides, erosion and sudden flooding more likely.

The Prithvi Highway shows how several hazards can combine. At Parewa Bhir near Malekhu, debris continued falling from the hillside while a river eroded the road below. Other sections were blocked by mud and small landslides. In Gorkha, a rising river swept away a temporary diversion built across a damaged road section.

Road construction can increase exposure when it changes slopes or places a route near moving water. The article reports that excavators were clearing debris, but rainfall and fresh slides repeatedly disrupted the highway. Drivers were urged to use caution, and some routes may need stronger, better-protected crossings.

The Khorlabesi diversion was a temporary solution to an earlier flood problem. It reopened the damaged Khorlabesi-Lusyāng section, allowing the Larke road to operate again. Its failure shows how a crossing can remain exposed when a river’s course changes after heavy rain.

The temporary route had been rebuilt with stones and gravel after the earlier flood. According to Dharche Rural Municipality chair Laxman Gurung, the river shifted toward the side carrying the temporary route. When rainfall began on Friday night, the river rose and swept away around 20 metres of the road.

The crossing was therefore not simply damaged by water flowing over it. The river moved toward the route and attacked the side where the diversion stood. After the loss, even pedestrians could not pass, and road links between three wards of Dharche and Chumnubri were cut again. Further rebuilding will face the same moving-water risk.

These forces form a connected chain. Rain falls on slopes and enters the ground, while excess water becomes surface runoff. As soil fills with water, it can lose stability and slide downhill. Runoff also carries mud and debris into lower areas. At the same time, swollen rivers can erode banks and the ground beneath roads.

The article gives several examples. Near Malekhu, debris fell from a hillside while a river eroded the Prithvi Highway below. In Kavre, quarry waste and runoff entered homes. At Khorlabesi, the Budhigandaki River rose, shifted toward the temporary route, and washed away about 20 metres of road.

Road construction can alter slopes and place transport routes in the path of runoff or river erosion. Once a road or diversion loses support, water can enlarge the break and block travel. Continuing rain and fresh slides kept the highway unstable, while the destroyed crossing again isolated nearby wards.