India is digging a trench near the no-man’s-land between Nepal and India border off the district of Bardiya.

Chief District Officer (CDO) Binod Bahadur Kunwar said upon inquiry he was told by the Indian officials that the trench was being dug in a bid to check smuggling of forest products and other contraband between the two countries.

India has already constructed a 50 km long trench running along the border. People living close to the border said India is also planning to build a two metre high dam along the border. If it did, they said, the Nepali territory could face inundation problem during rainy season. CDO Kunwar said his office has informed the centre about the trench and about its danger.