ILAM, July 13: Road links between the Tarai and the eastern hill districts of Ilam, Panchthar, and Taplejung have been completely severed after continuous rainfall blocked the Mechi Highway and two alternative routes.
The Mechi Highway remains closed at Rajduwali in Ward No. 9 of Ilam Municipality after an old landslide subsided further, making the road impassable.
According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Laxmi Bhandari, spokesperson for the District Police Office, vehicles can no longer cross the affected section as floodwaters have washed away parts of the road.
"The highway is completely blocked. The road has been badly damaged, making it impossible for both small and large vehicles to pass," Bhandari said.
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An alternative route linking Simlagolai in Godak to Tilkeni via the Jogmai River had remained open for small vehicles. However, Sunday's flooding overtopped the diversion, forcing authorities to shut that road as well.
Both approaches to the diversion are unpaved and had already become muddy due to continuous rain. Only a few four-wheel drive vehicles had been able to use the route before it was closed.
"The diversion itself has now been damaged. With rain continuing, it is impossible to say when repairs can begin," Bhandari added.
Another alternative, the Kechana Kangchenjunga Road, also known as the Ilam Jhapa Fast Track, has also been closed after floodwaters flowed over the diversion at Puwakhola. Although a Bailey bridge has recently been installed at Belase over the Mai River along the same route, vehicles cannot use it because the Puwakhola crossing remains impassable.
Transport services in Ilam and the Mechi hill region have been severely disrupted for nearly a month, with no reliable alternative route available.
Authorities had planned to install Bailey bridges at Jogmai and Puwakhola, but construction materials and technical teams have yet to arrive. According to the Division Road Office, both the bridge components and technicians are expected to come from India, but no confirmed delivery date has been set.
Division Road Office Chief Pawan Bhattarai said officials remain in regular contact with the Department of Roads.
"The department has assured us that the Bailey bridge will arrive within a few days, but no specific date has been confirmed," he said.
Bhattarai said repair work is carried out whenever the weather improves, but ongoing rainfall makes restoration impossible.
"When it rains, we cannot repair roads or diversions. We have kept heavy equipment at the damaged sites so repairs can resume as soon as conditions improve," he said.
The prolonged road closures have also disrupted the supply of essential goods to Ilam. Freight trucks have been stranded for weeks on the Godak side of the damaged Rajduwali section, according to the Ilam Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Chamber President Chet Nath Paudel said traders have been transferring goods to smaller vehicles to keep supplies moving, but even that option has now been cut off.
"This is becoming a serious situation. Fuel and food shortages could occur if road access is not restored soon. The concerned authorities must act without delay," he said.
The Rajduwali section of the Mechi Highway, considered the lifeline of the Mechi region, has faced repeated disruptions for nearly three years due to landslides. Around half a kilometer of the road has been badly damaged, causing traffic problems every monsoon.
The road suffered major damage from a large landslide last October and was further devastated by floods and landslides later that month. Repair work is ongoing, but the section remains highly vulnerable.
Several stretches of the same hillside continue to collapse, while additional landslide risks have also been reported at two locations in Puwakhola and at Kolbung along the Mechi Highway. Local officials warned that further heavy rainfall could trigger more road closures.
