Kakadbhitta, the eastern entry point of the Nepal-India border, is currently under a double threat. The border is highly sensitive due to the upcoming elections and the potential impact of the Nipah virus in West Bengal, India.

In such a situation, border security should be tight and tight. Even though the security apparatus claims that surveillance is effective, the picture here is different.

On Thursday, Devikala Khadka from Jhapa was arrested at the Panitanki border crossing in India with 10 kg of silver. The Border Security Force (SSB) took her into custody. A day earlier, the SSB had arrested four Indian citizens from Meghalaya with 3.6 million Indian rupees.

In their initial statements, they have said that they were going to bring the money for Nepal's election purposes. However, it has not been disclosed for whose election expenses the money was brought. These and other incidents make the border area look risky. As the elections approach, the entry of large amounts of cash is also a serious challenge for both electoral transparency and security.

However, the irony is that control of illegal activities and arrests of people are mostly being done by the Indian side, while surveillance at the Nepali border seems relatively weak. This indicates a weakness in coordination, surveillance technology, and internal discipline among security forces.

Security checks are carried out at half a dozen places from Mechi Bridge to the customs area. Armed Police conduct checks at the entrance to the bridge. Nepal Police and Narcotics Control Bureau are seen deployed at some places.

There is a joint team of the Armed Police and Customs and a single Nepal Police surveillance around the customs. At first glance, the security perimeter of this international border looks strong. However, in practice, it is different. There are allegations at the local level that security personnel pay less attention to checks and more attention to ‘transactions’. ‘You can easily see the scene of money being openly collected from passengers coming from India,’ says Ramesh Sapkota of Dhulabari, ‘They take money by pretending to check their luggage.’

Hrishikesh Sah of Birtamod adds his complaint, ‘When a common person brings a kilo of sugar, they stop and harass him, but when I see a trader’s luggage being openly taken and left, it makes me sad.’

The goods brought from India are kept at the old Mechi bridge throughout the day. After nightfall, they are brought in with the connivance of security personnel. It is alleged that security personnel and customs officials are especially active in facilitating the entry of various goods brought from India.

According to border security experts, strict security checks, effective information exchange and a zero tolerance policy are implemented during sensitive times. However, such strictness is not seen at the eastern border. Experts say that lax security at the country's main gateway is not just a simple administrative weakness but is directly linked to national security.

With the threat of infectious diseases like Nipah virus approaching, health screening, passenger management and emergency preparedness should have been strengthened. However, locals say that health alertness at the border is also relatively weak. Since the border is the first line of disease control, negligence here can lead to a major public health crisis.