Kathmandu June 24:

The Beni-Jomsom-Korala road section has come to a halt since this morning following a landslide at Dana of Annapurna rural municipality in Myagdi. The route is considered as the lifeline of Gandaki state. The landslide fell from over the Rupse falls was due to incessant rain, steep gradient and loose soil, said by Dana-based tourism entrepreneur Indra Singh Sherchan. District Police Office, Myagdi Police Inspector Dhruba Prasad Sharma confirmed the disruption of the highway due to the landslide. This is the sole link road to Mustang, one the districts beyond the Himalyas. It is said the use of bulldozer and excavator to upgrade the road has made it unsuitable for small vehicles’ movement mainly during rainy season. Even a general rainfall makes the road muddy in which small vehicles normally cannot move easily. “Undesirable conditions of roadway end with uncomfortable trip of passengers,’’ Sherchan said. The Annapurna rural municipality has urged commuters to remain alert to the bad condition of the roadway which poses a high risk for the movement of vehicles mainly motorcycles and small ones to and from the North Myagdi and Mustang. Under the 76-kilometers road linking Mustang to the national highway, the section stretching from Dana to Ghasa of Mustang is highly risky. People are forced to travel by risking lives. Earlier, the Chamere-Ghasa section in Mustang was blocked by landslides at over six locations, it was resumed later.