Trade is picking up across the Raxaul-Birgunj border which opened on Friday after being obstructed for nearly four months.

Cargo trucks are coming in from Raxaul, India. As many as 100 vehicles, including cargo carriers, rolled into Birgunj on Sunday as there was no any obstruction by the agitating Madhesi parties at the Miteri bridge on the no-man’s-land. About 70 percent of the country’s total import comes via Birgunj.

Cadres of the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha, who attempted to disrupt cross-border traffic on Saturday, were nowhere to be seen on Sunday. Local SLMM leaders said in a statement that they did not have any plan to obstruct the border “for the time being”.

Employees at Birgunj Customs and customs agents looked busy at work. Cargo trucks from India and third countries are gathering on the customs premises.

Sushil Sharma, spokesman for the customs office, said Rs65.5 million revenue was collected on Sunday. He said the movement of goods would be normal in a few days. Before obstruction, the customs had daily revenue collection of Rs320 million.

According to officials, it takes a week for lorries to arrive at Birgunj with consignments from Kolkata, India. Sharma told the Post that some containers were loaded at Kolkata Port to be dispatched to Birgunj.

The Indian Oil Corporation depot in Raxaul, however, has yet to supply Nepali tankers with petroleum products.

New paperwork is necessary now as the tankers were rerouted through Jogbani earlier when the Birgunj border was closed, according to the Nepal Oil Corporation depot in Amlekhgunj.

The NOC depot chief said that the IOC might prepare the necessary documents on Monday to send tankers through Birgunj.