[Nepal] - Over 126,000 leave Kathmandu for hometowns as Dashain rush heightens

INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 4The number of people leaving Kathmandu for their hometown to celebrate Dashain is increasing day
by day.
1.8 mln people expected to leave Kathmandu valley this festive season
Dengue cases surpass 6,000, over 600 reported in Kathmandu Valley
Nowadays, New Bus Park, Gongabu, is getting crowded due to the sheer number of people going home for
Dashain and buying bus tickets in advance.With the start of the biggest festival of Nepalese, people who are living in Kathmandu Valley due
to various purposes have started returning home to celebrate Dashain with family members and relatives. Chief of Kathmandu
Valley Traffic Police Office, Deputy Inspector General of Police Bharat Bahadur Bohara said total 126,435 people left Kathmandu Valley from
September 30 to October 3 morning in vehicles-buses, trucks, and motorcycles.Similarly, Spokesperson of District Police Range, Kathmandu,
Nabaraj Adhikari told RSS that crowd of people returning home has increased at New Bus park after schools have started closing for the
holidays with the beginning of Dashain festival.He further said they have increased number of security personnel at New Bus Park keeping the
growing crowd of people there in mind, stating that a help desk has been established in order to make passengers travel smooth.Likewise,
crowd of people returning home and pressure of vehicles has increased at New Bus Park, Kalanki and Koteshwor areas, shared Kathmandu Valley
Traffic Police Office.Kathmandu is experiencing significant traffic congestion at its entry and exit points due to an influx of passengers
and vehicles during the Dashain festival
Driver Ramit Oli, who operates on the Kathmandu-Dhangadhi route for Sudurpaschim Travel, said there is a significant rise in the number of
people leaving the city for their hometowns as the festival began.Road conditions have deteriorated due to rain-related disasters, yet
vehicles remain packed as demand rises
By Thursday afternoon, a total of 820 motor vehicles, including buses, microbuses, trucks, private cars, and motorcycles, had departed from
Kathmandu
According to Superintendent of Police Nawaraj Adhikari from the District Police Range Kathmandu, 13,503 passengers left the city with those
vehicles.As of noon today, 544 vehicles entered Kathmandu, carrying 6,554 passengers
The number of people traveling in reserved and private vehicles, which are not accounted for in police records, is also said to be
increasingly high.Bus counters have already accepted advance ticket bookings until October 9, making it extremely challenging for travelers
to secure a ticket
Lalit Magar from Rolpa said he arrived at the New Buspark in Gongabu in the early morning but was struggling to find a bus ticket to go
home.
This article first appeared/also appeared in https://thehimalayantimes.com