After China, Nepal now builds close border roads

Darshan Kunwar

Dehradun, June 27 (HS) Days after reports of China building a network of border roads close to our side of Indo-China international border, Nepal has also now begun construction of roads on war footing like Darchula-Tinker motorable road, and other nearby motorable roads on both sides of Kali Nadi river, demarcating  India from Nepal in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district. The network of roads in Nepal’s Darchula and Betri districts will make way to connect Nepal’ as many as 15 to 18 strategically significant villages close to this side of the border.

Official sources said Nepal that is now known as China’s ally, stepped up the process of building a network of strategically important roads after China successfully managed to build dozens of roads along 350 km long Indo-China border in Uttarakhand’s  Pithoragarh, Chamoli and Uttarkashi districts. Most of these newly built roads are touching Indian side of the border. Now, it seems to be the turn of Nepal to build roads along 275 km long Indo-Nepal international border in Pithoragarh Champawat and Udham Singh Nagar districts.

Among all these three Uttarakhand districts, Pithoragarh shares about 150 km long border areas with Nepal. While only there is only one motorable bridge at Banbasa in Uttarakhand’s Champawat district, in Pithoragarh district, movement is made only through bridges from Jhulaghat to Seetapul near Kalapani.

According to ITBP officials, ever since Nepal staked its claim on three Indian territories- Kalapani, Lipulekh and Lingpiyadhura- in Pithoragarh district, it has set up an outpost at Changhru and deployed Nepal army jawans there.

According to official sources, Nepal has also set up border outposts on six different spots at the bank of Kaldi Nadi river. Nepal has also built roads close to its last Changru and Tinker villages.

“The promptness with which Nepal has managed to build road upto 43 km out of total 130 km touching India side, it may easily cross over into India side shortly,” said  a senior ITBP officer at Pithoragarh.