Birgunj, October 7

The recently concluded civic polls and subsequent Dashain holidays have adversely affected vehicular movement in Birgunj, with a long queue of heavy vehicles across the border in India.

The Nepal-India border was sealed for 72 hours for the civic polls in Province 2 and this was immediately followed by Dashain.

Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Birgunj Chairperson Om Prakash Sharma said ineffective traffic management at the border point had hit traders and businesspersons hard in the metropolis.

FNCCI Birgunj Secretary Madhav Rajpal said commodities brought from Indian Railsway’s Raxaul Yard and via land routes were stuck in the traffic jam.

According to Rajpal, the queue of vehicles from from Raksaul to Sugauli is around 35 km long and some 3,500 vehicles have been stuck in the jam on the Indian side.

The FNCCI Birgunj has urged the Birgunj Customs Office, the Indian Consulate, the Indian Raxaul Customs Office, and the local administration to clear the traffic jam at the earliest.

Local businesspersons and traders complained that they were forced to pay exorbitant fines to the Indian railway and go-downs for being unable to clear the cargo due to the traffic jam caused.

Birgunj Customs Office Chief Sewantak Pokhrel said efforts were under way to clear the traffic jam. He claimed all stuck vehicles would enter Nepali within two days.