The Indian Border Security Force (SSB) has obstructed the work of an embankment under construction in Susta, West Nawalparasi. The SSB team, which entered Nepali territory on Sunday afternoon, has asked the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation to stop the work of the embankment being constructed in Susta-5. The embankment is being constructed with an investment of Rs 140 million by the ministry to protect Susta from erosion and flooding.

According to locals, a dozen Indian security personnel who came to the embankment construction site had returned to stop the work. Chief District Officer of West Nawalparasi, Deepak Nepal, said that he received information that the Indian side obstructed the work of the dam under a new contract 50 meters east of the embankment being constructed in Susta (in Nepal). He said that the Indian side has expressed interest in constructing the embankment at the disputed site. "I have received information that they have obstructed the issue of coming to the construction site and awarding a new contract," Nepal said, "I have already informed the Home Ministry and have also told the head of irrigation and survey." He said that he is trying to meet his Indian counterpart on Monday.

Immediately after, he said that he sent the Superintendent of Armed Police (SP) Govinda Khati, who is in charge of border security, to understand the matter. SP Khati informed that Nepal-India security personnel have reached there for joint border monitoring. "We have reached there after consultation," he said, "We continue to meet once a month." According to Harish Pant, an engineer assigned to the embankment construction, Indian security personnel had reached the construction site in their uniforms in the afternoon. He said that they had returned to stop working.

Susta Rural Municipality Chairman Teknarayan Upadhyay also said that Indian security personnel had come to the embankment construction site and obstructed it. ‘The engineer who is overseeing the embankment work called and informed us that the Indian security personnel were obstructing it,’ he said, ‘The work that has been going on for two months has been obstructed.’ Rabindra Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Susta Bachau Abhiyan, said that the Indian side has been trying to stop the embankment work that is being built for development and natural disaster control. ‘Indian security personnel have been trying to stop the construction of the 132-meter embankment in Narayani on Sunday,’ he said, ‘Preparations are being made to inform the Home Ministry on Monday through the district administration.’

As soon as the news came that the Indian security personnel had reached the embankment construction site, a team of the Armed Police Force had also reached there. According to an official of the Home Ministry, an embankment of about one kilometer and 132 meters in length is being constructed as a project of the Irrigation Department in the area connected to the Narayani suspension bridge in Susta-5. An embankment is being built with the investment of the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation to protect Susta from erosion and flooding.

Susta, which had an area of ​​more than 75,000 hectares before 2030, now has 7,000 hectares of land. Susta is surrounded by the Narayani River to the north and west. The Indian state of Bihar lies to the south and east. India has deployed SSB teams at three locations near Susta and is monitoring it. Nepal has set up a border security post under the command of an Armed Police Inspector. In 2022, the then King Mahendra settled some former soldiers and about 400 families in Susta for border protection. Since then, the Indian side has been objecting to the settlement and obstructing it.

In 2027, the Indian side chased away a team deployed to distribute land titles to the residents of Susta. The government had mobilized the police and conducted a survey and distributed land titles to about 400 families by 2031 BS. The locals, who were reassured by receiving land titles, were displaced when Narayani changed the river and converted the settlement into a slum in 2034 BS. After that, the Indian side has been continuously encroaching on the land and taking advantage of the lack of a border pillar, according to the locals.

Adam Khan, the acting chairman of the Susta Bachau Abhiyan, said that the border dispute has not been resolved due to the Nepali side's failure to take a clear stance. 'Can a meeting at the level of the Chief District Officer (DM) resolve the border pillar dispute?', he said, 'Even locals and those in the know are not informed when a meeting is held on the issue of Susta. It is necessary to look at the survey and historical facts to resolve the border dispute.'