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With the Dashain festival approaching, the number of people leaving the Kathmandu Valley for their hometowns has increased significantly in recent days.
People engaged in employment and studies in the federal capital have started returning to their ancestral homes in large numbers to celebrate Dashain, Nepal’s biggest festival for Hindus. The festival is also regarded as an important occasion for family reunions and gatherings.
Various checkpoints across the Kathmandu Valley have recorded a sharp rise in the number of people heading out of the capital.
According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Rabindra Khanal of the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office, a total of 56,809 people left Kathmandu through different checkpoints in the past 24 hours.
Among them, 27,649 passengers left through the Nagdhunga checkpoint, the highest number recorded from a single exit point. Similarly, 20,615 passengers departed through the Bhaktapur checkpoint, while 5,510 left through Pharping.
The remaining passengers exited through other checkpoints, including 972 from Tinpiple, 886 from Bhattedanda, 608 from Sankhu, 513 from Bhimdhunga and 56 from Thankot.
The growing movement has intensified the annual Dashain travel rush, with thousands of people heading home ahead of the festival.
Transport entrepreneurs have faced difficulties managing the growing number of passengers amid challenging road conditions on several major highways.
General Secretary of the National Federation of Nepal Transport Entrepreneurs, Deknath Gautam, said managing transportation services effectively has become difficult due to the poor condition of roads.
“Various national highways are damaged on the eve of Dashain, making it difficult for passengers to reach their destinations on time and comfortably,” he said.
According to Gautam, although advance ticket booking has been arranged to manage the festival rush, disruptions along the Prithvi Highway have left a number of vehicles stranded, causing significant inconvenience to passengers.
In view of the increased travel pressure during the festival, the Federation has urged passengers to take necessary precautions while travelling.
It has advised passengers to purchase tickets before boarding vehicles, pay only the prescribed fare and check the condition of vehicles before starting their journey.
With Dashain approaching, the number of people leaving Kathmandu is expected to increase further in the coming days, putting additional pressure on highways, public transportation services and major exit points from the Valley.
