Two hundred and fifty-four border pillars that separate Nepal with India in Jhapa district are missing, according to Survey Department.

In the absence of border pillars, the no-man’s-land has been encroached by both Nepal and Indian sides in places like Mechinagar, Maheshpur and Gherabari, said Sushil Dangol of the department.

The department is preparing to reconstruct new border pillars. 

 “We will identify the proper position of the pillars and construct new ones,” said Dangol.

Survey officials from Nepal and India are working together to manage the border pillars in Jhapa for the past five months. They have repaired 215 border pillars and constructed 50 new ones so far.

According to the department, there are 989 border pillars, including main, subsidiary and minor ones, along the Nepal-India border in  Jhapa and Ilam. The joint team has inspected 765 border pillars so far.

“We will inspect the remaining border pillars next year,” Dangol said.