Rain during Dashain affects tourism as well

The continuous rain since the night of Navami has not stopped till this afternoon on the fourth day today. There are floods and landslides everywhere in Kaski. Due to the rain, the rivers and canals have flooded, and due to the landslides on the rural roads, people going to visit their relatives and families have been stranded on the roads.

Landslides have blocked the roads in rural areas of Kaski. According to Sunder Tiwari, Deputy Superintendent of Police and Information Officer of the District Police Office, Kaski, the rural roads of Madi Rural Municipality and Annapurna Rural Municipality of Kaski district were blocked, leaving relatives and people going home stranded to get vaccinations. He informed us that there was no loss of life in Kaski till this afternoon due to floods and landslides. Landslides have occurred at various places on the rural road from Kanhukhola in Pokhara to Sikles, a tourist village in Madi Rural Municipality. Spokesman Tiwari informed that efforts are being made to open the road after removing the landslide that fell three days ago. According to Devijung Gurung, ward president of Madi Rural Municipality-1, the road has been blocked for three days due to a landslide in Chipli of Madi Rural Municipality-6. Ward President Gurung informed that the general public who reached Sikles and Kilang reached their houses and relatives by walking an uphill road of three hours. The blocked road could not be opened because the dozer driver working in Madi Rural Municipality went home on Dashain.

One has to cross a distance of 40 km to reach Sikles from Kanhukhola in Pokhara. People stranded due to the landslides are forced to stay in houses and hotels on the side of the road, while some have walked for hours to reach their homes and relatives.

Similarly, resident Lalit Gurung informed that after four days, the road which was blocked due to a landslide on the night of Navmi at Bhirchok of Annapurna-10 under the rural road from Veerethanti of Annapurna Rural Municipality to Ghandruk, a tourist village of Annapurna, was opened one-way this afternoon. Due to the landslide, people who reached Ghandruk and Chumrung walked for hours to reach their homes and relatives.

Tourism has also been affected due to rain. Harishchandra Subedi of Pokhara-32, who was planning to go to Sauraha in Chitwan with his family on the day after the Dashain holiday, has postponed his trip with the news that the road from Pokhara to Narayangadh has been blocked at some places. He says that it is not possible to go to Chitwan as there is only a short time off during Tihar. Due to the rain, many people like Subedi have postponed their outings with their families.

After the Dashain holiday, most of Pokhareli used to go for short-distance trekking and to reach Muktinath, but due to rain, such programs are being postponed this year, said Sushil Poudel, a trekking businessman from Pokhara.