PHOTO: TRN The Eco Landslide area along the Kodari road section leading to the Tatopani border point.
By Chitra Kumar Mijar, Sindhupalchok, July 30: The road leading to the Tatopani border point, a major Nepal-China trade gateway, has remained closed for the past 13 days following a landslide at Kodari.
The road has been completely blocked since August 16 after the Eco Landslide area at Kodari collapsed.
As the landslide has cut off the route, no cargo containers carrying goods from China have been able to reach the Tatopani Customs Office, bringing imports through the border point to a complete halt.
With the onset of the monsoon, recurring landslides in the Eco Landslide area have repeatedly disrupted trade through the Tatopani border.
More than a dozen sections of the 26-kilometre Bahrabise-Kodari-Liping road have either subsided or been blocked by landslides.
As a result, passenger buses and other vehicles operating between Bahrabise and Tatopani have been suspended.
More than 40 freight containers travelling from Lhasa, Shigatse and Khasa in China to the Miteripul remain stranded on the Chinese side.
The containers are carrying fruits, electrical goods and garments. Perishable fruit consignments are at risk of rotting if the road is not reopened soon.
Ram Hari Karki, president of the Nepal Himalaya Cross-Border Commerce Association, said traders and businesses had been severely affected as cargo-laden containers remained stranded beyond the landslide area.
He urged the government to clear the debris as soon as possible and restore trade through the border crossing.
According to Karki, the Eco Landslide has disrupted traffic every monsoon for the past three years.
He said the government’s failure to upgrade the road has reduced trade through the border, preventing customs authorities from achieving their annual revenue targets.
The Tatopani border normally generates more than Rs. 25 billion in annual customs revenue.
Trade associations and businesspeople associated with the border point have called on the government to improve the condition of the road.
On July 23, a high-level government delegation led by Minister for Infrastructure Development Sunil Lamsal, Minister for Law Sobita Gautam and other federal lawmakers visited the Tatopani border to inspect the affected area.
The team inspected the border point, the road, the customs office and other infrastructure before returning to Kathmandu.
During the visit, Minister Lamsal said he would immediately direct the concerned government agencies to reopen the road and clear the landslide.
However, despite the inspection, no government effort has yet been made to remove the debris or ensure the safety of the settlement located above the landslide-prone area.
The Rising Nepal
