NAWALPUR: The Narayanghat–Butwal section of the East-West Highway has been blocked since Monday night after floodwaters swept away a diversion in Nawalpur.

According to the District Police Office, the diversion over the Binayi River in Binayi Tribeni Rural Municipality was washed away following heavy rainfall.

The sudden rise in water level due to overnight downpours in the Nawalpur area caused water to overflow the temporary diversion, leading to the highway’s closure. Police said continuous rainfall has hampered efforts to repair the diversion and resume transportation.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) and spokesperson for the District Police Office, Madhu Nepal, stated that the water flow has not subsided, making repair work difficult.

Following the collapse of a 245-meter-long bridge over the Binayi River in Dumkibas on January 10, vehicles have been relying on a temporary diversion. This is the fifth time floodwaters have disrupted traffic at this diversion site.

Due to the highway closure, passenger buses and small vehicles, except cargo trucks, have been rerouted through the Hongsi Cement Gate and the Sardi–Dumkibas Bazaar route, police said. However, vehicles are struggling to ascend the slippery and muddy Daunne uphill section.

The poor road condition has caused a traffic jam in the Dumkibas area, with long lines of vehicles—nearly 200 according to police—stranded in Arun Khola, Dumkibas, and near the Hongsi Gate. Drivers and hundreds of passengers have been left stranded and facing significant hardship.