Life returns to normal in Kathmandu as rain subsides

KATHMANDU:  Life in the Kathmandu Valley, which had been disrupted for several days due to continuous rainfall and adverse weather, began returning to normal after the rain subsided on Sunday.

Roads, transport services, businesses and daily life of the Kathmandu denizens are gradually returning to normalcy. The incessant downpour over the past few days had caused flooding on major streets as well as inner lanes, leading to traffic congestion and making it difficult even for pedestrians to move around. With the improvement in weather conditions since Sunday morning, traffic on Kathmandu’s roads has increased and public movement has resumed.

According to SP Naresh Raj Subedi, spokesperson for the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office, Kathmandu’s road network—heavily affected by the continuous rain since Friday—has now become fully operational. “Life in the Valley had been somewhat abnormal due to the continuous rainfall since Friday,” Subedi said. “The weather has improved since Sunday, and traffic movement is returning to normalcy.”

He added that major entry and exit points, including Nagdhunga, Sanga and Gurjebhanjyang, have reopened. Vehicles that had been halted due to landslides are now moving again.

With the rain stopping, crowds have returned to the city’s marketplaces. The number of shoppers buying daily essentials and other goods has noticeably increased. Traders have reported growing footfall in major commercial hubs such as Asan, Indrachowk, New Road, Old Baneshwor, and Gongabu.

“Until Saturday, it was almost impossible to walk on the streets,” Sarita Thapa, who runs a clothing store in Old Baneshwor, said. “Today, the sunshine and clear weather have made everything much easier.”

According to the Weather Forecasting Division under the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, monsoon conditions are still active across the country. It said that skies remain generally cloudy in Koshi, Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces, and partly cloudy elsewhere.

The Division has also forecast moderate rainfall with thunder and lightning in some areas of Koshi, Bagmati, Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces, as well as in select hilly and Tarai regions of other provinces.

Tonight, the weather is expected to remain generally cloudy in Koshi, Lumbini, Karnali, and Sudurpaschim provinces, and partly cloudy elsewhere, with chances of moderate rain accompanied by thunder and lightning in some hilly and Tarai areas of Karnali and Sudurpaschim.