India has dug a trench along the no man’s land just off the border in Janaki Rural Municipality and Khajura Rural Municipality of Banke district.

According to local residents, the trench is being dug for the purpose of controlling contraband trafficking and illegal logging.

 Authorities on Nepal’s side  were not notified about this undertaking.

Chief District Officer Ramesh KC said they were unaware about the Indian authorities digging the trench along the no man’s land. “We have informed the central government. The issue must be settled at the government level,” he said.

The residents of Saigaun village in Janaki Rural Municipality and Radahpur village in Khajura Rural Municipality have urged the government to take up the issue with the Indian government at the earliest.

“The soil dug out for the trench have been deposited near the border. If they are not removed immediately, our homes could get inundated during monsoon,” said Tofiq Ahmed Sain, a Saigaun resident. 

Villagers claim that the district administration has failed to act despite several international boundary violations committed by India. 

Before this, they said, India had constructed a road by encroaching upon the Nepali territory near Narainapura that caused a mass displacement of families living in Matehiya, Sonbarsha and Gangapur villages of Rapti Sonari Municipality.

The Indian authorities have also built a 22.5 km embankment by allegedly breaching the international boundary near Holiya area in Banke.