With the opening of the border, more than 50 containers that were stopped at the Liping market on the Chinese side have started entering Nepal.
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The northern border checkpoint of Tatopani, which was blocked on Friday due to a landslide in the Kodari (Eco) area of the Kodari Highway, reopened on Monday after four days.
According to the Tatopani Dry Port and Customs Office, the border checkpoint was completely closed due to the obstruction in the Eco area, bringing the operation to a standstill. There was relief for businessmen waiting for the road to reopen on Monday.
With the reopening of the border checkpoint, more than 50 containers that were stopped at the Liping Bazaar on the Chinese side have started entering Nepal. “When the border checkpoint was closed since Friday, the containers were stopped on the Chinese side, but now they have started sending them in a hurry,” said Tatopani Customs Chief Rajendra Prasad Chudal.
Even though the border checkpoint reopened after four days of obstruction, the risk remains. Businessmen are worried as the road is likely to be blocked again due to rain and landslides. They complain that they have suffered losses worth lakhs of rupees due to the obstruction.
Hundreds of containers are still stopped at warehouses on the Chinese side. Businessmen say that transportation cannot be regularized until the road is completely smooth. ‘With the opening of the road, the checkpoint has come into operation, and the containers that were stuck have started entering. But there is still a fear of landslides due to rain again,’ said Kumar Shrestha, chairman of Bhotekoshi Rural Municipality-2.
The repeated obstructions on the Kodari Highway are adding to the challenge to the regular operation of the Tatopani checkpoint. The Road Division Office has stated that a contract of Rs 484.9 million has been called for by the Ministry of Finance to control eco-landslides.
