More than a dozen major road sections across Nepal, including the Prithvi Highway, have been blocked by floods and landslides, the Police Headquarters announced on Saturday, October 31, 2026. Heavy rainfall has caused widespread disruptions, affecting key transportation routes nationwide.The Prithvi Highway is completely blocked at Parewabheer in Gajuri Rural Municipality-2, Dhading district, due to a landslide. Similarly, the BP Highway in Kavre district has been obstructed since 4:55 AM on Saturday by debris and mud from a seasonal stream at Pinthali in Roshi Rural Municipality-9 and Gimdibesi in Roshi Rural Municipality-8.The Karnali Highway is also fully obstructed by a dry landslide at Aulise in Barahatal Rural Municipality-7, Surkhet, since Saturday morning. Other affected routes include sections of the Mid-Hill Highway in Khotang, the Bagmati River Corridor in Lalitpur, and various parts of the Kanti Lokpath. The Kanti Lokpath corridor at Balkhu Sundarighat in Lalitpur Metropolitan City-2 is impassable due to increased water flow from continuous rainfall.The Kaligandaki Corridor is blocked at Rakse in Kaligandaki Rural Municipality-2, Gulmi, and at Kasiban in Rampur Municipality-1, Palpa, due to mud and rockslides. Additionally, the Nagma Gamgadhi road section at Talcha in Chhayanath Rara Municipality-7, Mugu, is also obstructed, according to the Police Headquarters.The disruptions follow the weakening of Cyclone Arnab, which developed in the Bay of Bengal and has now transformed into a powerful low-pressure system. Despite its weakened state upon entering Nepal, the cyclone’s influence has brought rainfall, snowfall, and moderate winds to various parts of the country, said Vibhuti Pokharel, spokesperson for the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology.Meanwhile, the water level in the Kulekhani Reservoir is rising rapidly. As of Saturday morning, the reservoir’s surface reached 1,527.93 meters, nearing its maximum storage capacity of 1,530 meters. Prahlad Raut, chief of the Kulekhani First Hydropower Centre, stated that continuous heavy rainfall in the catchment area is causing the rapid increase in water levels.Basanta Adhikari, Chief District Officer of Makwanpur, has urged residents in low-lying areas and along riverbanks to remain highly vigilant, as the reservoir’s surface could exceed 1,528 meters within hours. The Bharatpur Road Division has also advised against non-essential travel on the Muglin-Narayangadh road due to ongoing landslide risks.A meeting of the Disaster Response Command Post has instructed relevant bodies to continuously collect and update disaster risk information in vulnerable districts, inform the public promptly, and undertake necessary preparedness measures. All concerned agencies have been asked to remain ready for deployment for necessary response actions as the situation evolves.Pokharel of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology has advised the public to follow official updates from the department’s social media channels for the latest weather information. She also urged travelers to exercise caution, understand the weather and road conditions before embarking on journeys, especially in landslide-prone areas. Farmers, currently in the paddy harvesting season, should plan their agricultural activities considering weather forecasts, she added.
Background
- Nepal is among the 20 countries most at risk from disasters globally.
- It ranks sixth in the world for climate change-induced disasters, eleventh for earthquakes, and thirtieth for floods and landslides.
- The country is also second globally in facing two or more types of disasters simultaneously.
- Unplanned road construction in hilly areas has exacerbated natural risks, leading to soil erosion and increased vulnerability to landslides.
