Thousands leaving Kathmandu every day for Dashain celebrations

KATHMANDU: Nearly 190,000 people have left the Kathmandu Valley over the past five days to return their home for the upcoming festivals.

According to the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office (KVTPO), between September 17 and 21, a total of 189,218 people traveled out of the Valley on 29,360 public vehicles.

DSP Lokendra Singh Guru of the KVTPO said that people who had come to Kathmandu from different parts of the country for study, business or employment are now returning home for the Dashain celebration. He added that most passengers exited the Valley through Nagdhunga, Sanga, Dakshinkali, and Balaju checkpoints.

The office reported that 34,556 people left on September 17, followed by 36,100 on September 18, 40,555 on September 19, 34,879 on September 20 and 43,124 on September 21.

Poor road conditions have created difficulties for travelers this year.

General Secretary of the National Federation of Nepal Transport Entrepreneurs, Dekenath Gautam, said that landslides triggered by monsoon rains have obstructed different highways. “Buses are getting stuck for hours on the Muglin–Narayanghat section due to landslides. When buses fail to reach Kathmandu on time, it becomes difficult to send passengers to their destinations,” Gautam said, urging the government to clear blocked highways quickly.

Meanwhile, the flow of passengers at the Gongabu New Bus Park in Kathmandu has also surged. Pankaj Malla, head of human resources at Lhotse Multipurpose, which operates the bus park, said passenger numbers have risen sharply compared to normal times.

“On regular days, some 4,000 to 5,000 passengers would leave from the New Bus Park. Now, with Dashain approaching, the number has exceeded 15,000 per day,” he added.

(Translated from RSS)