Around 22 km of electric fencing work has been completed in the Nepal-India border area of Bardiya district under the initiatives of locals of Rajapur Municipality and Geruwa Village Council. 

The electric fencing has been installed between the border pillars 87 and 98 to prevent wild elephants from entering the Nepali territory from the Indian forest across the border.

Local Mangal Tharu said India’s paramilitary force, Shasastra Seema Bal (SSB), had obstructed them from installing the fence on the Nepali side. “Despite obstructions, we continued the fencing works,” said Tharu. 

Villagers complained that the local administration did not help them while constructing the fence. A month ago, the dispute ensued when a group of armed SSB personnel crossed into the Nepali territory and intimidated the locals who were installing the fence. 

However, the situation eased after the APF and the SSB agreed not to mark the fence as the permanent borderline until a joint Nepal-India survey team inspects the area. 

The fence was constructed 80 metres away from the no-man’s land inside the Nepali territory, said local Bishnu Rijal. 

The fence has been installed from bordering Khairichandanpur to Rajapur area in around Rs 6 million under the Constituency Infrastructure Development Programme. 

APF Inspector Prakash Rana, who is serving in Rajapur, said they have problems arising out of the border dispute until the joint survey team surveyed the area. Chief District Officer Bishnu Bahadur Thapa said he notified the ministries of Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs for a swift resolution to the border disputes.