RAJBIRAJ: The local authorities are tightening the security in Saptari district in view of the forthcoming 3rd phase of local polls the government has announced for September 18.

Saptari's Superintendent of Police (SP) Mukesh Kumar Singh said check posts have been set up at various locations along the Nepal-India border, major roads and points in Rajbiraj and other places as part of the heightened security measures.

Police have also mobilised trained Alsatian dogs for detecting drugs and explosives to shore up the security.

Around 4,000 Nepal Police and 2,000 Armed Police Force (APF) personnel have been mobilised in the district to make sure the elections are held peacefully and without incidents of vote rigging, SP Singh added.

Saptari district has 295 polling stations under 10 local levels. The authorities have designated 207 voting stations as highly sensitive and 88 as sensitive. The district has 331,079 registered voters including 170,888 men, 160,770 women and 21 members of the third gender.