Roshi River Washes Away 4.5 km Section of BP Highway Diversion

KATHMANDU — Continuous rainfall and flooding from the Roshi River have once again caused severe destruction along the BP Highway, washing away approximately 4.5 kilometers of diversion road between Chaukidanda and Nepal Thok. The disaster has paralyzed transportation along one of Nepal’s most vital national highways, echoing the catastrophic damage seen during last year’s monsoon.

According to Bindu Adhikari, Information Officer at the Division Road Office, Bhaktapur, the diversions constructed after last year’s floods have been severely damaged in multiple locations. “Flooding has washed away 16 different diversion points between Chaukidanda and Barkhe Khola, accounting for around 3.5 kilometers of total road damage,” she said.

In addition, Sudarsan Upreti, Information Officer at the Division Road Office, Khurkot, reported that in Sindhuli district, the section between Barkhe Khola and Nepal Thok suffered washouts at three major points. “We haven’t been able to reach the affected sites due to high water levels, but most of the diversions constructed after last year’s disaster appear to have been eroded,” he said, estimating that around 800 meters of diversion may have been destroyed on Sunday alone.

Flood Levels Remain High, Repairs Delayed

Officials said that as the flood level in the Roshi River remains high, reconstruction and road clearance work cannot yet begin. “We have a plan to reopen the BP Highway within 72 hours of the water receding,” Adhikari said. “However, with the river still swollen, we cannot start work immediately. Once the rainfall stops and flood levels drop, we will begin reconstruction right away.”

The division office confirmed that construction contractors and their heavy machinery remain on-site, and once conditions permit, both government and private equipment will be mobilized for immediate road restoration. “If the rain stops and the flood subsides today, we will start work immediately,” Adhikari added.

Massive Losses Despite Past Repairs

Last year’s monsoon had similarly washed away major stretches of the BP Highway, prompting the government to spend a substantial amount on emergency reconstruction and maintenance. The Department of Roads had used its own resources and equipment to construct temporary diversions rather than outsourcing the work to contractors.

Adhikari confirmed that the Division Road Office itself built the diversions last year. “It wasn’t contracted out — our office directly managed construction using departmental resources,” she said, adding that she could not immediately disclose the total reconstruction cost.

Reconstruction Projects Still in Limbo

The BP Highway’s damaged sections in Kavre district have been divided into four packages for reconstruction. Out of these, contracts have been awarded for only two sections so far:

• The Bhakundebesi–Charsaybesi section has been contracted to Lama–Navakantipur JV, and
• The Charsaybesi–Dalabesi section is under Khani–Kamaljit–Ewan Construction Services.

Of the two remaining sections, one is expected to be funded by the Japanese government, while the other has not yet been contracted.

Similarly, the Barkhe Khola–Nepalthok section in Sindhuli district has been awarded to Kharidhunga–Ghising–Kshitiz JV for reconstruction. However, despite the contracts, concrete reconstruction work has yet to begin on any of the awarded sections.

With continuous rainfall and the collapse of diversion routes, traffic along the BP Highway remains fully disrupted, posing major challenges for eastern and central Nepal’s transportation network.