Rasuwagadhi crossing has to wait for some time to be put into operation after the destruction of the physical structure including Miteri bridge connecting to Kerung in China. Now Tatopani of Sindhupalchok has become the only option to conduct commercial transactions with China by land route.

But the question has also arisen whether the Tatopani customs post, which is at risk of floods every year, can stop commercial transactions by land. 

Due to dilapidated physical structures and the risk of floods, businessmen say that there is no condition to depend on hot water. Since the onset of the rainy season, the road towards Tatopani has been closed from time to time.

Before the earthquake of 2072, the Tatopani border was the main trade border with China. After the earthquake damaged the hot water tank, there was pressure on business in Rasuvagadi. Rasuwa crossing has been closed while the business is slowly getting easier even from Tatopani. 

Tatopani has set a target of 21 billion revenue collection in the current financial year. But the customs officials say that the target is not likely to be reached. In the last financial year, customs collected 13.5 billion revenue from Tatopani. The revenue target for the current year was increased after more electric vehicles started coming from China. 

Tatopani, which was closed for four consecutive years after the earthquake, has been conducting import business only since 076. Even though the border is operational, China sometimes sends notices of closure under various pretexts, on the other hand, annual floods damage roads and bridges. Due to dilapidated road and bridge from Dhulikhel to Dolalghat, Bahrbise to Tatopani border on Arani highway, traffic is not easy. Last year, the October flood swept away a concrete bridge over the Liping river near the border and a belay bridge at Bhotekoshi in Larcha. At present, vehicles have been operated with belay bridges at both locations. It is not certain that those bridges will survive when there is a big flood. 

There is a problem of landslides in some places along the 26 km road from Barhabise-border area to Tatopani of Arani highway. The last 6 km of the border road is the most dangerous. According to Tatopani Customs Officer Surya Kafle, traffic was stopped for 75 days due to road damage in the current financial year. Aujau has been closed four times in the last one month due to road flooding at Kodari on the Araniko highway. The last time was only on Thursday, when the road was flooded, the traffic was stopped again. Dozens of containers are stuck in Lippin after the road is blocked.

According to Tatopani customs chief Rajendra Chundal, containers carrying more than 28 tons of goods have been stopped in Aujau from the belay bridge installed at Liping and Bhotekoshi of Tatopani border. He says that the condition of roads and bridges will make it difficult to bear the burden of import business. According to customs, only 100 containers can be managed in the yard built by the Chinese government in Larcha. 

Since Dasain is near, traders have already gone to China to buy goods. But they are divided whether to choose the Terai route through the sea route via Kolkata port or Tatopani. Goods can be brought to Kathmandu in 15 to 20 days from Tatopani. It takes 40 to 45 days to bring goods from Birgunj, Biratnagar or Mechi via Kolkata via sea. The goods of the importers using Visakhapatnam port in India are arriving at the dry port of Birganj.