Pokhara: Landslides Strand Thousands as Dashain Livestock and Jomsom Flights Surge
Pokhara is navigating a convergence of natural disaster and festive demand as Dashain approaches. Landslides and flooding have blocked the Mid-Hilly Highway and Kaligandaki Corridor for two weeks, forcing travelers toward air routes while raising market prices. Against this backdrop, traders have begun moving thousands of mountain sheep and goats from Himalayan districts into Pokhara's festival livestock market, while Jomsom Airport records unusually high passenger loads from both stranded road travelers and religious visitors heading to Muktinath.
🗳️ Jomsom Flights Overwhelmed After Road to Mustang Blocked
Passenger traffic on the Pokhara-Jomsom air route has surged significantly after the road connecting Pokhara to Mustang via Beni in Myagdi district was blocked by floods and landslides. Jomsom Airport Chief Bishwanath Sharma said Tara Air and Summit Air's Twin Otter aircraft had each been operating five flights daily on the route but have now extended operations to up to seven flights each per day in response to sharply increased demand. Even at this higher frequency, available capacity is struggling to keep up with the volume of passengers seeking air travel. The surge has multiple causes: stranded road travelers seeking any route to Mustang, tourists visiting during the peak autumn season, and Hindu pilgrims heading to Kagbeni and Muktinath during the Sroh festival for ancestral rites. Hindus from both Nepal and India travel to Kagbeni at this time of year to perform rites for deceased ancestors, making the season particularly significant. Airline companies have stated that priority is given to patients and the infirm for available seats. The local administration and Jomsom Airport office are coordinating to facilitate smooth travel for vulnerable passengers and foreign tourists. An additional constraint complicates the capacity problem: strong afternoon winds at Jomsom Airport mean most flights must depart before noon. The Pokhara-Jomsom service resumed from the first week of Bhadra after its monsoon closure and will ease once road access to Mustang is restored. [1]
🎉 Dashain Livestock Market Opens with Mountain Goats from Dolpa
Sheep and mountain goats from Himalayan districts have begun arriving in Pokhara ahead of Dashain, Nepal's most important annual festival, with traders expecting more than 10,000 animals to reach the city this year. Trader Min Prasad Bohara brought the first batch of 100 sheep and goats from Dolpa to Pokhara, selling 30 animals on the very first day of trading. Animals are being transported from a range of Himalayan and hilly districts including Mustang, Bajhang, Humla, Surkhet, and Dolpa, reflecting the wide geographical reach of Pokhara's Dashain livestock market. Goats sourced from Dolpa are currently priced between Rs 21,000 and Rs 40,000 each depending on size and quality, with sheep generally priced lower than goats. Dashain, celebrated as the triumph of good over evil in the Hindu tradition, involves ritual animal sacrifice as offerings to the goddess Durga, driving intense annual demand for livestock across Nepal and making Pokhara a key trading hub for Himalayan-bred animals particularly prized for their hardiness. The annual influx of mountain livestock is a familiar autumn sight in the city, with traders undertaking long journeys from remote districts to bring their animals to market. Traders expect volumes to grow significantly in the final weeks before the festival as more households begin purchasing animals, placing further pressure on a supply chain already complicated by ongoing transport disruptions in the region. [4]
Landslides Cut Two Key Roads in Gandaki Province for Two Weeks
Landslides and flood damage have blocked the Mid-Hilly Highway and the Kaligandaki Corridor—two of Gandaki Province's most critical road arteries—for approximately two weeks, disrupting vehicle movement across multiple districts and straining communities in the lead-up to the festival season. The Kaligandaki River's flooding damaged the Maldhunga bridge connecting Parbat-Baglung on the Mid-Hilly Highway, as well as the Pokharebagar bridge in the Myagdi section of the Kaligandaki Corridor, halting direct transport services on both roads. Umesh KC, Chairman of Dhawalagiri-Gandaki Transport Service Pvt. Ltd., said the Maldhunga bridge collapse has suspended long-distance bus services from Lumbini and Karnali provinces to Kathmandu via Baglung. Only microbuses and jeeps are currently operating via circuitous alternative routes, entering Baglung from Parbat's Dobilla via Phalebas, Jaimini Ghat, and the Kaligandaki Corridor, adding significant cost and travel time. The blockage has driven up market prices for goods due to supply chain restrictions, and the decline in tourist movement during what should be a peak season has hurt local economies. Patients and the infirm face the greatest hardship, forced onto longer, more expensive routes to access healthcare. Locals describe the disruption as severe, as the blocked routes connect most mid-hill districts to the national road network, with no clear timeline provided for restoration of the damaged bridges. [5]
Sources: [1] Ratopati · [4] The Himalayan Times · [5] Ratopati