189,000 Leave Kathmandu in Five Days to Celebrate Festivals

Around 189,218 people have left the Kathmandu Valley over the past five days to celebrate the upcoming Dashain festival, according to the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office.

From September 17 to 21, a total of 29,360 public vehicles carried the outbound passengers. Deputy Superintendent of Police Lokendra Singh Gurung said that people who live in the capital for study, business, or employment have begun returning to their hometowns to celebrate the Dashain holidays. Most travelers departed through the valley’s main exit points at Thankot, Sanga, Dakshinkali, and Balaju.

Daily records show that 34,556 passengers left on September 17, 36,100 on September 18, 40,555 on September 19, 34,879 on September 20, and 43,124 on September 21.

Travelers are facing difficulties due to poor road conditions and landslides triggered by monsoon rains. Dekenath Gautam, general secretary of the National Federation of Nepal Transport Entrepreneurs, said landslides along the Mugling–Narayanghat section have caused buses to remain stuck for hours, delaying schedules and complicating onward travel. He urged the government to clear obstructed highways promptly to ease passenger movement.

The rush is also evident at Kathmandu’s main departure hub, the New Bus Park in Gongabu. Pankaj Malla, head of human resources at Lhotse Multipurpose Pvt Ltd, which operates the facility, said daily passenger numbers have surged to more than 15,000, compared with the usual 4,000 to 5,000 on regular days. -- RSS