Over 1,500 containers stranded at Chinese border for months, causing losses in billions

By Raman Paudel,Sindhupalchowk, Sept. 21: Ahead of Dashain, biggest festival of Hindus, the Tatopani border, a key import point from China, has been closed for two months, resulting in losses worth billions of rupees, including millions in revenue. At least 1,500 containers carrying Dashain-targeted goods, such as fruits, clothing, and other essentials, are stranded in the Khasa, Nyalam, Dhingre, and Sigatse areas of China.

The border has been blocked since August 22 due to landslides and floods in various areas between Daklang and Liping in Bhotekoshi Rural Municipality. As a result, Dashain-related items, including fresh fruits, clothing, and other essentials worth billions, have been unable to reach the market before Dashain.

A stretch of 500 metres along Araniko Highway has been washed away in the Bhotekoshi area, leaving locals and traders unhappy  as they are unable to transport goods ahead of Dashain.

According to Kumar Shrestha, ward chair of Bhotekoshi-2, a 250-metre stretch of road was washed away in the Iko area, a 110-metre stretch in Panthali, a 25-meter stretch at Larche, and a 10-metre stretch at Ghattekhola.

Last week, chair Shrestha led a group from Bhotekoshi to Kathmandu to meet Kul Man Ghising, Minister of Urban Development, to request reconstruction of the road.

During the meeting, Minister Ghising directed that the road be restored as soon as possible. Following these instructions, a team led by Dr. Bijaya Jaishi, Director General of the Department of Roads, inspected the affected area on Wednesday.

The team concluded that a long-term solution for the road would be complicated and costly. However, they began working on a temporary road for transportation before Dashain.

"We are trying to build a road for temporary use. However, the overnight rain washed it away. We need to think about a long-term solution. For now, we are initiating a short-term option," said Dr. Jaishi.

This is not the first summer the road has been washed away. Since the 2015 earthquake, landslides and floods have been a recurring problem in the area, causing frequent transportation disruptions. These disruptions have left the checkpoint, which generates at least 70 million rupees in revenue daily, deserted ahead of the Dashain festival.

Rajendra Chudal, chief of the Customs Office in Bhotekoshi, stated that the poor road conditions have significantly impacted revenue. "I am ashamed to say that our office has been unable to collect revenue for the last two months. However, we are talking with locals and other stakeholders to rebuild the road," said Chief Chudal.

On Friday, an expert team deployed by the Department of Roads began work on resuming transportation.

Local representatives and traders have claimed that the government has not been concerned about reopening the border, which collects the second-largest volume of revenue for the country. 

Bijaya Sherpa, director of Silk Transport, a major transport company importing goods through the Chinese border, said that the government has lost tens of millions in revenue due to poor road conditions.

Additionally, Silk Transport has been fined at least 12,000 rupees per day per container stranded in China for the past two months. 

In a statement to The Rising Nepal, DG Jaishi confirmed that his team aimed to reopen the road within a week. However, he also added that this would not be a long-term solution.

The expert team from the Department of Roads has stated that providing a long-term solution to the Iko landslides in Bhotekoshi is much more difficult. It would require several years and billions of rupees.

There is a village with at least 100 families above the Iko landslide site. Locals and experts are concerned that using a crane to clear the landslide could result in the entire village being washed away.

Areas in Gumbadanda, Milan Bazar, Lalbir Chowk, Tartum, and other small settlements are at risk if the crane is used to clear the landslides, said residents and experts.