Kathmandu, Oct 7: Nepal is in talks with China to resume transport services through the Tatopani border point, which has remained closed following recent floods and landslides, a minister has said.
Infrastructure Development Minister Sunil Lamsal told a parliamentary committee on Tuesday that discussions were underway with Chinese officials to reopen the Tatopani trade route, which connects Nepal with Tibet.
He said the government was making continuous efforts to resume operations at both the Tatopani and Rasuwagadhi transit points along the China border.
The Tatopani border point is located around 110 kilometres northeast of Kathmandu and is an important trade route between Nepal and China, while Rasuwagadhi, another major trade and transit point, is situated in Rasuwa district, north of Kathmandu.
The Rasuwagadhi border crossing was catastrophically damaged by a massive high-altitude glacial collapse and rock-ice avalanche on August 26, which triggered a high-speed debris flood down the Lhende, Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers, claiming at least 1,455 lives.
The Tatopani border crossing has remained suspended by Chinese authorities since August 26, following severe monsoon disruptions, flash floods and continuous landslide risks along the border and connecting highways.
Lamsal on Tuesday said there were currently no problems on the Nepali side of the Tatopani border point and that the road on the Nepal side had already been reopened.
However, the Chinese side did not yet appear ready to resume operations at Tatopani, Lamsal told the Parliamentary Special Committee on the Impact of Climate Change in the Himalayas, Climate Justice and the Bhotekoshi-Trishuli Disaster.
The minister said recent floods and landslides, including the August 26 Bhotekoshi flood, had made it difficult to immediately resume operations at the two major border points connecting Nepal with Tibet.
“We are ready even now. There is no problem in operating the border point from our side. We are also in regular communications with the Chinese side. We are working on how to reopen the Rasuwagadhi border point,” Lamsal said.
Lamsal also said the government was working to construct and restore infrastructure in areas affected by the recent disasters. (PTI)
