The construction of a dry port at Dodhara Chandni across the Mahakali in Kanchanpur is currently underway at a rapid pace. If the work continues at the current pace without any obstacles, the construction of the dry port will be completed within the next two years.

It is expected that the construction of the port will increase trade and business in the Far West and contribute to the economic growth of the region. But for this, experts say that preparations should be made not only to import goods from India but also for export. ‘Preparations should be made to export more than import, for this, industries should be established in the Far West,’ said Ashish Gajurel, former executive director of the Intermodal Transport Development Committee, who is also a member of the House of Representatives. ‘There is ample potential for herbal and food industries in the Far West, and production can be increased and exported.’ But there does not seem to be much preparation for this here so far.

Gajurel says that the federal government, state and local levels should also take necessary initiatives to bring policies that attract investment from opening large industries in the province. Laxman Bahadur Basnet, former executive director of the Intermodal Transport Development Committee, said that the goal is to have more exports than imports from the dry port being built in Dodhara Chandni. Under Basnet's leadership, a feasibility study was conducted for the dry port and a suitable location was searched for.

At that time, the Prime Minister, ministers and even the Indian ambassador to Nepal had inspected the dry port construction site at various stages. ‘This dry port can handle both import and export of goods on a large scale, there is a strong possibility,’ said Basnet. ‘Currently, both import and export of goods from India in the Far West are being done through Birgunj and Bhairahawa, later on, the cost will be reduced by using Dodhara Chandni.’ According to him, Dodhara Chandni is a short distance and low-cost port for Nepali products exported to Europe, as it has access to the sea ports of western India.

Basnet said that the Dodhara Chandni dry port will be accessible from the Jawaharlal Nehru Dry Port in Delhi, along with the Mundra Port in Gujarat, Bandra in Mumbai and Dhamra Port in Odisha. Except for the Jawaharlal Nehru Dry Port in Delhi, all other ports are within a distance of 1,400 to 1,500 kilometers from Dodhara Chandni.

‘This dry port is the shortest and lowest cost point not only for import and export between Nepal and India but also for export from India to India,’ said Basnet. ‘Goods produced in India can be transported to states such as northeastern Assam, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and other states in eastern India via Dodhara Chandni Dry Port via Nepal at a short and low cost.’ According to him, goods produced in Nepal are being exported to Europe via Calcutta Port, so it seems that exporting them through Dodhara Chandni Dry Port would be even cheaper.

The deeper the port, the larger the number of ships that can come and go. The shipping fares are lower at ports where large ships come and go. Therefore, Basnet says that it will be easier to export goods to Europe from Mundra and Bandra Ports.

Basnet says that if the Dodhara Chandni dry port can be connected to the Kerala border, it can also be important for India-China trade. The work on the dry port is currently underway at a rapid pace. There is a lot of activity in the Mayapuri community forest area of ​​Dodhara Chandni Municipality-1.

Work is being carried out in the area even in the scorching sun of Jestha. From fencing to construction of other structures of the port, construction work is underway. Currently, construction work on the administrative building, warehouse, customs, security, quarantine check post building and load-unload shed is going on simultaneously. ‘Work is already underway from earth filling to physical infrastructure construction,’ said Arun Srivastava, project manager of Indian company Compt Construction, which has been awarded the contract for the construction of the dry port. ‘The work has started since December 24, and we are moving forward to complete the construction work as per the target.’ According to him, construction materials such as cement and steel rods required for the project are being imported duty-free from the Gaurifanta border in Dhangadhi.

Indian construction company Compt Construction has been awarded a contract worth Rs 2.4 billion for the dry port to be built with the assistance of the Indian government. The target is to complete the work within 30 months. The Intermodal Transport Development Committee handed over the site for construction in Shrawan.

Since then, the work of cleaning and leveling the area has started. According to Srivastava, all the work, from fencing to construction of other physical infrastructure, is going on simultaneously. As the work may be affected during the rainy season, work is being done at a rapid pace. ‘The work on the dry port is currently progressing at a rapid pace,’ said Anish KC, engineer of the Intermodal Transport Development Committee. ‘Work on the wall, housing area and necessary physical infrastructure is underway.’ According to him, work on the construction of a bridge on the Malaria Nallah is also underway. The physical progress of the dry port construction has been more than 10 percent. The monitoring of the construction work is being done by India’s RITES Limited. The Intermodal Transport Development Committee is facilitating the work.

42.36 hectares of land in the Gaurishankar Community Forest in Dodhara Chandni Municipality-1 has been cleared for the construction of the dry port. 1,702 trees in the forest were cut down. Currently, structures are being built on only 25.3 hectares.

A four-lane concrete bridge over the Mahakali River and an 8-kilometer-long six-lane access road from Gaddachauki, the last point of the East-West Highway, to Malaria Nala have been constructed for the construction of the dry port. After the construction of the dry port, commercial activity is expected to increase in this area. On the Indian side, an access road is being constructed from the Jogbuda area of ​​the national highway between Banvasa and Chakarpur on the border.