DEHRADUN: The Nepal government has decided to keep the border with India closed for at least another month, citing the Covid-19 pandemic. India and Nepal have around 20 entry points along the border. Seven of them are in Uttarakhand. All these points are closed since March 25 when the lockdown was first announced.
The move has dampened the spirit of border residents on both sides as not only the trade will remain affected but will result in delayed payment to pensioners. Defence veterans from Nepal and traders from India said they had hoped things would normalize following recent meetings of high officials from both the countries.
Indian traders are feeling the pinch of financial losses. “We are already reeling under unprecedented losses. The extension of border closure will burn us out. We have 70% customers coming from the other side of the border. The closure will hit us hard,” said Shankar Lal Verma, state secretary of Uttarakhand Vyapar Mandal.
Banbasa, a border town located about 330 km from Dehradun, is an entry point for those going to Nepal from Champawat after crossing a bridge over the Sharda river. A few of these posts are opened in special circumstances. Recently, a post was opened to enable Nepalese pensioners of the Indian Army to withdraw their pension. Similarly, the suspension bridge in Dharchula of Pithoragarh was reopened for three days mainly to help the Nepali pensioners to collect their pensions.