Incessant rains have triggered a road collapse on the Prithvi Highway in Pokhara Metropolitan City. According to the District Police Office Kaski, a section of the road near Chauthe (Ward 14) was washed away around 6:30 am on Wednesday.
The collapse caused disruptions to traffic flow on the crucial highway. Fortunately, Deputy Superintendent of Police Basanta Kumar Sharma from Kaski Police reported that the road has now been partially reopened for one-way traffic.
The damage appears significant. Police estimate that a 5-meter long and 1.5-meter wide section on the right side of the road has been completely eroded by floodwaters. Additionally, another 7-meter by 1-meter section roughly 10 meters ahead has also been compromised. Repair crews are currently working to restore full functionality to the road.
Thankfully, no casualties were reported in the incident. Rainfall data from the Lamapatan water measuring center in Pokhara reveals that the area received 134.2 mm of rain in the past 24 hours. Notably, rainfall exceeding 120 mm within 24 hours poses a significant risk of landslides and flooding.
This isn’t the first time this week that Pokhara has faced transportation disruptions due to heavy rains. Just two days ago, a similar incident occurred near “zero kilometers” within the city. Experts attribute these issues to Pokhara’s calcareous soil, which becomes prone to erosion when saturated with water.
