New route search required for transit from Kolkata

A transit agreement was signed between Nepal and India in 1999. The treaty has provided a fixed route for the transportation of goods from Kolkata to the border of Nepal in the east to Sukhia Pokhari, Panitanki, Galgalia, Jogwani, Bhimnagar, Jayanagar, Bhithamod, Raxaul, Sunauli, Badni, Jarwa, Nepalganj, Tikonia, Gaurifanta and Banwasa respectively. The routes were set 048 years ago. For the landlocked country of Nepal, the routes set by India through its land for access to the sea are decades old. Raxaul-Birgunj, Jogwani-Viratnagar, Kakdvittha-Panitanki, Sunauli-Bhairawa, Nepalgunj and Gauriphanta routes are only used to name a few. Some routes are not even in use. The Nepali Consulate General in Kolkata has suggested to the Nepal government that the high-speed high-speed road network built in India should be discussed in the bilateral dialogue.

65-70 percent of goods coming to Nepal from third countries enter Nepal through Raxaul-Birganj Customs. Two routes have been given for cargo vehicles to cover the distance of about 800 km from Kolkata. From Kolkata port, cargo trains reach Birganj via West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar. Only parts of Jharkhand and Bihar are different in both those routes. Most of the similarities are there. These most important routes given by India to Nepal for sea access are thirty years old. The development in the highway and bridge construction sector in India has changed a lot now.

The Nepali Consul General in Kolkata, Ishwarraj Paudel, says that the study of new land routes for access to the sea should be done and the route that can be convenient should be identified. There are some problems with the overland routes given earlier. "Somewhere the bridge is narrow, somewhere the road is not wide, there is also the issue of load," he says. He says that since India has made a big leap in the field of transportation, Nepal should try to take advantage of it. For that, he emphasized that the route should be reviewed within the Parahawan Treaty. Nepal has been given access to Kolkata port since the time of British rule in India for import and export of goods from third countries. The land routes are also around the same time. Even later, as the roads were being built in India, there was a general change.

Nepal has received permission to use Kolkata and Haldia and Visakhapatnam ports near Kolkata. Visakhapatnam port has been used by Nepal only since 2016. Two-thirds of Nepal's imports from third countries come through Kolkata. Last year from April 2023 to March 2024, 49 thousand 551 container goods for Nepal arrived from Kolkata-Haldia port. In the previous year, 50,881 containers of goods had arrived. From machinery goods, raw materials to iron, coal, chemical fertilizers, textiles, food, vegetables and fruits come from here. Nepal also exported 1,451 containers of goods through Kolkata last year. In the year before that, 1,346 containers of goods were exported.

Nepal has been exporting goods from many countries of the world. In Kolkata, 70 to 80 percent of goods come from China.

Consul General Paudel said that the Consulate General in Kolkata facilitates the sending of goods from third countries to Nepal as quickly as possible without any hassles. When all the costs of transportation and port operations are added to the goods, the price of the goods increases until they reach Nepal. "The more late it is in Kolkata, the price of the goods increases accordingly, the time it takes on the way also increases the price," Paudel said in a conversation with Kantipur, "In the last four years, the price of containers has increased 100 percent internationally. The issue of containers and ships is a matter to be determined by international law. But he says that if the goods can be delivered to Nepal conveniently and quickly through a short route from Kolkata, the cost can be reduced to some extent.

The transport business associations from Kolkata have also emphasized on the need to propose on behalf of Nepal for standard and short routes by conducting an on-site study of the roads and possible routes that are currently in use. Rajesh Sharda, joint secretary of Kolkata-based Nepal Cargo Handling Agents Association, said that the study of new routes is necessary. There are many roads in India, now the container drivers use alternative roads from time to time according to their convenience. But that is not a facility, there is always a risk in it,' he said, 'Since there are many roads from Kolkata to Birganj, Biratnagar or Bhairahawa, it would be better if a new route was chosen that would be easier.' He said that if the time taken on the road can be reduced, the price of the goods will be very different.