The Bhantabari- Laukahi section of the East-West highway has opened after six months following the maintenance of Koshi Barrage damaged by floods in August.

Vehicles have started plying on the highway from Thursday morning connecting Eastern Nepal with the rest of the country.

The river, which had flooded the settlements of Sunsari and Bihar of India
after breaching the embankment at Paschim Kushaha, six months ago had beenreverted back to its original course on January 26. The resumption of the highway is expected to provide relief to people of Eastern Nepal who had been facing great difficulty while traveling to and from other parts of the country.

Travelers were forced to cross Koshi River several times by boats between Bhantabari and Laukahi before they could catch a bus. Alternatively, people had to travel more than 24 hours via Bihar of India risking the chance of being looted on the way. nepalnews.com ta Feb 05 09