Maharajganj/Kushinagar: The devastation in Nepal due to the flash flood has hit cross-border trade with India. With roads and bridges washed away, the movement of goods vehicles to Kathmandu and other parts of Nepal via Maharajganj in Uttar Pradesh, has been badly impacted.
A queue of around 16 km of cargo vehicles has formed on the Indian side of the Sonauli border in Maharajganj as trucks wait to enter Nepal, PTI reported.
Road restoration work in Nepal has been affected by fears of another flash flood due to the formation of a lake in Tibet.
With the queue extending towards Nautanwa, concerns have been raised over traffic movement on the national highway. Security agencies and police personnel are monitoring the situation and regulating the movement of vehicles.
“Surveillance at the Sonauli border has been intensified, and police station heads in the border areas have been directed to remain alert,” circle officer Basant Singh said.
The situation could worsen if road connectivity in Nepal is not restored soon, officials have warned, potentially delaying the movement and supply of essential commodities between the two countries. Perishables could face damage.
Maharajganj residents who work in Nepal have also been affected due to the situation.
Raj Kumar Gautam, a resident of Jagarnathpur village, who had been working as a furniture worker in Kathmandu for nearly a year, is returning home after escaping the flood situation in Nepal,
The situation was terrifying, with several families left devastated and people struggling to reach safer places amid panic and chaos, Gautam told his family over the phone.
His daughter Ankita said she spoke to him around 4 pm on Thursday, when he informed the family that he was returning home by bus via Bihar. Gautam is the sole earning member of his family, supporting the livelihood and education of his children.
Authorities have intensified vigilance along the 17.5-km embankment between Narwajot and Ahirauli in neighbouring Kushinagar.
Revenue, police and flood-control teams are monitoring vulnerable stretches. Additional district magistrate Vaibhav Mishra said vigilance in riverside villages had been increased.
Residents near Chhitauni and Valmikinagar reported seeing household articles, including a gas cylinder, bed and refrigerator, being carried away by the strong current. Some locals pulled the items out of the water.
NDRF and SDRF teams remain deployed in villages, while PAC and water police personnel have also been put on alert. Other small seasonal rivers and water channels in the area are being monitored closely.
