Tatopani customs clearance at TIA

KAVRE, July 12

Tatopani Customs Office, devastated by the deadly quake of April 25, in Sindhuplachowk has started work from the Customs Office at Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu.

Tatopani Customs Office began work from TIA Customs to clear customs after more than 400 heavy containers loaded with ready-made clothes came to Tatopani from China two weeks ago.

Tatopani Customs has started checking vans and containers loaded with shoes, cloth and readymade apparel after the Khasa-based Chinese Customs handed the vans and containers over to it.

Around 200 container vans have been kept at Panchkhal Kavre for checking, while the remaining vehicles have been parked in the open areas at Sindhupalchowk.

Local Rajnak Karki said that 200 vehicles were parked at a playground in Panchkhal. Tatopani Customs Office Chief Dibya Raj Paudel said they could conduct the checking of around 100 vehicles a day. “We shall bring all the vehicles parked at many places along the Araniko Highway in four days,” Paudel added.

According to Paudel, as many as 459 container vans ferrying goods worth Rs 2 billion had entered Nepal via Tatopani Customs from Khasa two weeks ago. Of them, 331 are heavy vehicles. Customs will conduct checking of only heavy vehicles.

The vehicles en route to the Capital were stuck due to the landslide in Jure along Araniko Highway for a week. These vehicles started heading for the Capital yesterday evening.

Secretary Pralhad Thapa, Nepal Truck Container Entrepreneurs’ Association said that containers would be brought to the Capital with APF escort. “We shall bring the vehicles to the Capital from Monday,” Thapa added.

Thapa said that as many as 18 containers were damaged in Tatopani area. “Some vehicles have been damaged in Tatopani while some have been lying on the banks of Sunkoshi”, Thapa added.

Meanwhile, China Customs Office said that it could not send any goods due to the damaged Nepal-China Friendship Bridge and a massive landslide between China’s Khasa and Nepal’s Tatopani area. Tatopani Customs Chief Paudel said that Khasa Customs in China had told that it would not be able to send any goods for at least two months to Nepal.