Bhojpur, July 27

Transport service has been affected due to landslides triggered by incessant rainfall in Bhojpur.

Air service in the district was halted for a week due to adverse weather conditions.

It resumed today.

Many passengers were stranded on various roads for hours due to landslides and swollen rivers.

The passengers, who headed to Dharan and Itahari from Bhojpur yesterday, reached their destinations today.

Santosh Shrestha, a stranded passenger said, “I could not reach my destination on time as the road was obstructed by landslide.”

Many vehicles ply the muddy and damaged roads putting lives of many passengers at risk. Due to poor condition of the roads, many passengers are opting for longer routes to reach their destinations.

A passenger, Bhim Prasad Rai, said it took him 16 hours to reach Dhankuta from Bhojpur.

He blamed the authorities concerned for the deteriorating condition of the roads as they failed to do the needful to upgrade the roads before monsoon.

Counter in-charge of Siddhakali Transport Pvt Ltd Bhojpur Mahesh Rai said it was very difficult to operate vehicles due to sorry state of the roads.

He said that passengers from Bhojpur and adjoining district, Sankhuwasabha would face problems until the ongoing construction of Leguwa-Hile road section was completed.

Bad weather has also affected air service in Bhojpur.

Nepal Airline Corporation operates six flights a week for Kathmandu from Bhojpur.

But due to heavy rainfall in the district, it has not conducted any fights since last Saturday.

Assistant Station Manager Raju Mijar in the district said they operated one flight today.”

No other airline provides air services from Taxar Airport, the only airport in the district due to its short runway. The runway of the airport is only 545 metres.

Civil Society Bhojpur Coordinator Parshuram Tiwari said that people were having a hard time in the district due to inordinate delay in completing the under-construction roads.

Construction companies are also to be blamed for people’s inconvenience.

They did not heed the requests of people’s representatives to expedite road construction works in the district.