Himal Press 
KASKI: Around 300 tourists visiting Ghandruk in Kaski have been stranded after flash floods in the Modikhola River swept away a section of a blacktopped road serving the popular mountain village.
The flooding on Sunday washed away the road near Syaulibazar, on the border of Wards 8 and 10 of Annapurna Rural Municipality. This cut the road connecting Ghandruk to Birethanti and Nayapul on the Pokhara-Baglung road.
The Modikhola swelled after floodwaters surged downstream following the blockage of the Kimrung Khola in Annapurna-11. While hikers can still travel to and from the village, tourists who arrived in private vehicles have been unable to leave due to the road closure.
Krishna Gurung, treasurer of the Ghandruk Tourism Entrepreneurs’ Committee, said about 300 domestic tourists who had travelled to Ghandruk to spend the three-day public holiday have been affected. “Vehicles cannot operate as the road has been washed away. Most of the tourists came in their own vehicles and are now waiting for the road to reopen,” he said. “We are exploring an alternative route for smaller vehicles.”
Annapurna Rural Municipality said road repair work is underway to allow motorcycles and scooters to use an unpaved alternative route from Ghandruk to Birethanti through Bhumli Bhang and Mohariya.
Annapurna Rural Municipality Chairperson Bishnu Bahadur KC said local authorities, engineers and administrative officials had reached Syaulibazar to assess the damage and restore road access after the disruption affected both tourists visiting Ghandruk and trekkers heading to the Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) trail. “We are discussing whether the alternative road can be repaired. As rainfall has stopped and the river’s flow has subsided, we are also assessing whether one-way traffic can be resumed on the damaged section,” KC said.
Ghandruk serves as a major gateway to the Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) and Ghorepani–Poon Hill trekking routes.
(Translated from RSS)
