Nepal halts new Himalaya trekking permits for three days as Cyclone Arnab nears

Nepal's Department of Immigration has stopped issuing new trekking permits for restricted high-altitude and Himalayan areas for three days, October 29 to 31, and told trekkers already on those trails to stay put, as forecasters warn that Cyclone Arnab could bring heavy snow, snowstorms and avalanches to the mountains.

If you are planning a trek in a restricted high mountain area this week, no new permit will be issued from Thursday, October 29 to Saturday, October 31. If you are already on the trail, the department urges you to stop walking and shelter in a safe place until officials confirm the risk has passed.

Department director Surya Prasad Chapagain issued the notice citing a warning from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, Nepal's disaster management body, that high hill and Himalayan areas face a high risk of heavy snowfall, snowstorms and avalanches on October 29, 30 and 31, Nagarik News and OnlineKhabar reported. The department said it will not issue new permits for restricted areas during those three days, and urged trekkers already inside those areas to stop walking and shelter in a safe place until officials confirm the risk has passed, the notice carried by both outlets said.

Separately, the Nepal Electricity Authority, the state power utility, warned on Tuesday, October 27 that the same weather system could disrupt power supply or damage poles, wires and transformers for three days starting Thursday, October 29, Republica reported. The NEA said it has put staff on high alert for quick repairs and asked people to avoid using electrical appliances carelessly and to rely only on official sources if outages happen, the same report said.

The NEA cited a special bulletin the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, the government's weather forecaster, issued on Monday, October 26, Republica reported. The immigration notice cited a warning from the disaster authority. Cyclone Arnab, developing over the Bay of Bengal, is forecast to make landfall on India's Andhra Pradesh coast between Bapatla and Vishakhapatnam on Wednesday morning, October 28, with sustained winds of 115 to 125 kilometers an hour and gusts up to 140 kmh, India's weather department said, according to Setopati.

Most of Nepal was expected to stay clear through Wednesday, October 28, DC Nepal reported, citing the forecaster. The change begins Thursday, October 29, when the cyclone's effect combines with a partial westerly wind system to bring rain to Koshi, Madhesh, Bagmati, Gandaki and Lumbini provinces and parts of Karnali and Sudurpaschim, with heavy snow possible in high hill and Himalayan pockets of several provinces on Friday and Saturday, October 30 and 31, Setopati and DC Nepal reported.

If your family still has paddy in the field, the forecaster asked farmers to bring it in before Thursday, October 29, and to take care on risky roads and landslide-prone slopes, Setopati reported.

The disaster authority separately warned that the Narayani, Bagmati, Kamala and Koshi river basins could see significant rainfall between October 28 and November 1, and asked people living along those rivers to stay alert for rising water levels, Setopati reported. Setopati reported the storm's remnant could move toward Nepal through northwest India, and rain could grow heavier if it meets another westerly system.

What the coverage missed

This week's warnings land on a country still absorbing an earlier mountain disaster. CNN reported on September 27 that a glacier collapse and landslide on the Nepal-China border weeks earlier had killed at least 1,300 people and left more than 5,000 missing. The same CNN report said an avalanche hit Himlung Himal base camp that Sunday, September 27, and the Nepal National Mountain Guide Association said four bodies had been recovered. CNN also reported that the National Trust for Nature Conservation had suspended Annapurna and Manaslu entry permits from September 24 to 26 over heavy rain. None of the October 27 reports on the trekking suspension or the power alert mentioned that backdrop.

What we still do not know

• Which specific districts or routes, such as Manaslu, Upper Mustang, Dolpo or Humla, fall under the suspension. Only the Department of Immigration can say.
• How many foreign trekkers and Nepali guides are currently inside the restricted areas, and what happens if conditions worsen before they can leave. A question for the Department of Immigration and the disaster authority.
• Whether trekkers who already paid for restricted area permits will get a refund or credit. A question for the Department of Immigration and the Nepal Tourism Board.
• The current, reconciled death and missing toll from the border flood disaster. A question for the disaster authority and Nepal Police.

The department asked everyone to put off travel to the high mountains until it gives official word that the risk has passed. It has not said when that will be.