Heavy Rain Cuts Off Road Links to Ilam, Panchthar and Taplejung as Mechi Highway Section Collapses

Continuous rainfall over the past two days has severely disrupted road connectivity in eastern Nepal after a section of the Golakharka–Rajduwali road along the Mechi Highway collapsed in Ilam.

According to Ilam Chief District Officer (CDO) Laxman Dhakal, the damaged road section at Ilam Municipality-9 has been completely blocked, forcing authorities to suspend all vehicular movement.

Dhakal said the route had already been unsuitable for heavy vehicles for the past four days due to persistent rainfall. Until Sunday, only two-wheelers were permitted to use the road, but worsening damage overnight prompted authorities to halt the movement of all vehicles from Monday morning.

With the closure of the highway, the Ilam district headquarters, as well as Panchthar and Taplejung districts, have temporarily lost direct road connectivity with Jhapa.

As a result, dozens of cargo containers and other vehicles travelling between Ilam, Panchthar, Taplejung and Jhapa have been stranded along the banks of the Mai River.

"The road continues to deteriorate, and the risk of landslides is increasing due to ongoing rainfall," CDO Dhakal said. "Considering public safety and the potential for further damage, we have decided to close the road indefinitely."

The situation has been further complicated after floodwaters swept away the diversion over the Jogmai River on the Tilkeni–Simalgola road, an alternative route to the Rajduwali section, on Sunday.

Similarly, the diversion over the Puwa River along the Kechana–Kanchanjunga route, part of the Mechi Corridor and the shortest road link between Ilam and Jhapa, was also washed away by floods.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Laxmi Bhandari of the District Police Office, Ilam, said the damage to both diversions has completely disrupted road connectivity between Ilam, Panchthar, Taplejung and Jhapa.

Meanwhile, Chief of the Road Division Office, Ilam, Bhawan Bhattarai, said preparations for installing Bailey bridges over the Jogmai and Puwa rivers had been completed about one and a half months ago. However, construction has been delayed because the specialised equipment required to assemble the Bailey bridges, provided by the Government of India free of cost, has yet to arrive.

Authorities have urged travellers to avoid the affected routes until weather conditions improve and road access is restored.