Due to the widespread damage caused by floods and landslides just before Dashain, travelers across the country are facing difficulties to return to their hometowns and villages for the Dashain and Tihar festivals.

According to the Department of Roads, several sections, including the BP Highway, Kanti Highway, Mid-Hill Highway, and Araniko Highway, remain blocked for two-way traffic.

Although traffic has been restored on many roads and bridges that were partially damaged, routes where roads and bridges were completely washed away by the floods are still disrupted, making travel difficult.

Umesh Bindu Shrestha, deputy director general of the Department of Roads, confirmed that the BP Highway, which connects Kathmandu to the eastern regions, remains blocked. He also mentioned that the obstruction on the Muglin-Narayangadh road, which connects Kathmandu to the Terai and western regions, has been cleared, allowing vehicles to resume operation.

"Our first priority is to clear landslides and reopen roads to facilitate traffic. Most of the blocked roads have been reopened, and we aim to open the BP Highway before Dashain," said Shrestha, who is also the department's spokesperson. "However, I cannot confirm if we can restore sections where the entire road has been washed away."

Shrestha added that the Naubise-Nagdhunga road, the main entrance and exit point of Kathmandu, has been reopened, as well as the Galchi-Trishuli and Dharke sections.

"Restoring the BP Highway is still challenging, but if the water level in the Roshi River decreases, we plan to temporarily open it before Dashain. Around 2 kilometers of the road has been completely destroyed, with some sections damaged by 50 to 100 meters," he said.

Ganesh Bahadur KC, executive director of Road Board Nepal, stated that the board is prepared to provide an emergency budget for road repairs. "A budget of Rs 1.5 billion was recently allocated for pothole repairs and maintenance," KC said.

Although the board is not directly responsible for maintaining roads damaged by natural disasters, it has an emergency fund for such situations. "We are prepared to allocate Rs 20 to 30 billion if necessary," KC added. The Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport has estimated that Rs 2.52 billion will be required to restore roads and bridges damaged by the floods.