Gandaki CM seeks federal aid for flood-damaged roads before Dashain

Gandaki Chief Minister Surendraraj Pandey has urged the federal government for immediate assistance to repair national highways and strategic roads damaged by recent floods and landslides, citing the urgency to restore connectivity before the upcoming Dashain festival. The disaster, which occurred from September 25 to 27, 2026, has caused significant human and infrastructural damage in the province.According to the Gandaki Provincial Police, the floods and landslides claimed 14 lives and left seven people missing in Gandaki Province, though Nagarik News reported more than 30 deaths. The disaster also displaced 1,451 individuals from 419 homes, with 179 houses completely destroyed and 26 partially damaged. The Gandaki provincial government has announced a relief package of Rs 100,000 for the families of those who died.Chief Minister Pandey met with Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle and Minister for Physical Infrastructure Development Sunil Lamsal to request resources for the reconstruction of damaged infrastructure in districts including Manang, Myagdi, Baglung, and Parbat. He emphasized that if roads are not repaired promptly, citizens will face significant hardship during Dashain, which begins on October 11, 2026, with Ghatasthapana and concludes on October 20, 2026, with Vijaya Dashami.Several critical routes have been severely affected. The Beni-Jomsom-Korala road, a vital northern corridor, sustained damage at 46 locations, with officials from the Korala Road Project stating on September 29, 2026, that it would take more than a week for full operation. As of today, October 3, 2026, youths are working voluntarily to facilitate pedestrian movement on the Beni-Jomsom section. The Kaligandaki Corridor in Dabalyang, Baglung Municipality-10, Baglung district, has been cut off from the district headquarters for 11 days due to a road collapse. The Besisahar-Chame-Manang road was closed for five days as of October 1, 2026. In Chame, Manang, a lake formed by the damming of the Marsyangdi River and accumulated debris further complicate road operations, with preparations underway to use explosives to clear the blockage.Chief Minister Pandey also raised other provincial issues with the federal ministers. He highlighted ambiguities in federal excise duty regulations regarding provincial laws on domestic alcohol production. He also pointed out that despite the Gandaki provincial government initiating legal and policy processes for ride-sharing services, federal directives have created confusion in implementation. Furthermore, he sought federal facilitation to address legal and administrative challenges in advancing provincial laws for cannabis cultivation for medicinal and industrial purposes.Finance Minister Wagle committed to facilitating post-disaster reconstruction and clarifying excise duty matters. Minister Lamsal stated that damage assessment of national highways is underway, and repair and reconstruction efforts would be expedited.While federal ministers have pledged support, specific details regarding the timing and amount of resources for damaged roads and bridges remain unclear. The federal government has not yet made a decision on declaring the flood-affected local levels in Gandaki Province as crisis-hit zones. Additionally, a full and updated damage report is yet to be released, leading to discrepancies in casualty figures across various sources.