A boundary dispute between Nepal and India in Dhanusha has halted the bridge construction project at Mukhiyapatti Masuraniya Rural Municipality-6.

The proposed 450-metre bridge project over Jamuni river, which flows close to the border between the two countries, had to be halted after the Indian border security force, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), intervened claiming that the construction site falls on the Indian soil.

The Division Road Office, Janakpur, had contracted the Rs 84.9 million joint venture construction bridge project to link Mukhiyapatti Masuraniya with the Indian bordering town of Saharghat last year.

To make matter worse, an official said, the SSB has recently set up its check post on the no-man’s-land between Jatahi of Dhanusha and Piparaun of India.

He said the dispute stemmed from the bridge project that was being developed on a site that falls between the minor border pillar 287/22 and the main border pillar 288.

The Nepali authorities had reportedly failed to stop the SSB from setting up its check post on the no-man’s-land.

Jatahi residents said the Nepali security force was not firm enough when dealing with the SSB.

They said the Indian border security force built the check post, claiming that the land belonged to India.

Government surveyor Ramesh Gyawali said it was difficult to determine whether either party had breached the international border law when Nepali authorities started the bridge project and the SSB built the check post, because several boundary markers between the two countries were missing.

Of the 140 border pillars, he said 77 were unaccounted for.