Rasuwagadhi border crossing resumes around after six months

Rasuwa, Jan 1: The Rasuwagadhi checkpoint along the Nepal–China border has resumed fully from today.

According to Rasuwa’s Chief District Officer, Rajesh Panthi, operations at the checkpoint had come to a complete halt after a devastating flood in the Lhende River last July swept away the Miteri Bridge over the Bhotekoshi River. Movement through the checkpoint resumed this morning following the construction of a 91-metre Bailey bridge by the Government of China.

Vehicular movement has restarted via the newly installed bridge, which has a load capacity of 55 tonnes.

As of the filing of this report, eight Nepali cargo containers have already crossed the border and departed for Kerung, China, said Police Inspector Bikram Kunwar of the Border Police Post, Timure.

Meanwhile, Rasuwagadhi Customs Office Chief Tulasi Prasad Bhattarai said that the prolonged closure of the checkpoint resulted in revenue losses exceeding Rs 22 billion from import collections compared to the previous fiscal year.

The floods on July 8 had damaged several road sections in the area, including the Miteri Bridge. (RSS)