Teknarayan Upadhyay, Chairperson of Susta Rural Municipality in West Nawalparasi, has claimed that the Indian side has halted the construction of an embankment being built by Nepal along the eastern bank of the Narayani River.
“Coincidentally, within hours of Nepal’s Prime Minister Walendra Shah addressing the parliament about the border dispute, the Indian Border Security Force stopped the workers at the site by pointing guns at them,” Chairperson Upadhyay stated.
Prime Minister Walendra Shah ‘Balen’ had said on Sunday in the House of Representatives, responding to MPs’ questions, that he discovered after assuming office that “not only India, but Nepal had also encroached on Indian land.”
Following criticism of the Prime Minister’s remarks, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson issued a statement clarifying that his comments primarily pertained to a claim over the Dashgaja area and the issue of cross-border land occupation.
On Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said they had reviewed Prime Minister Shah’s comments and Nepal’s subsequent statements, emphasizing that bilateral mechanisms are actively working to resolve border issues.
“Approximately 98 percent of the India-Nepal border has already been delineated. A minor portion remains unresolved,” explained Randhir Jaiswal.
The dispute over the Susta border has persisted for a long time. Jaiswal acknowledged that changes in the course of the Gandak (Narayani) River have contributed to this situation.
Regular Monitoring
According to the West Nawalparasi District Administration Office, a joint border monitoring took place on May 31, led by a 13-member team from Nepal led by Armed Police Force (APF) unit 26’s Ganpati Govinda Bahadur Khati and a 17-member team from Indian security forces led by ASP Topeshwar Raut from West Champaran, Bihar.
“This joint border monitoring is a routine activity,” said Assistant Chief District Officer Poshan Rajbhandari of West Nawalparasi. “After Nepal announced plans to build a 132-meter-long embankment along the Narayani River, the Indian side requested that no work be carried out in the disputed area without mutual consent.”
The Chitwan Irrigation and Water Resources Project is constructing the embankment on the Susta bank of the Narayani River, with the contract for its first phase already signed to be completed by the end of Ashad (mid-July).
“The initial embankment, one kilometer long, is nearing completion,” added Assistant Chief District Officer Rajbhandari.
“The additional 132-meter-long embankment, which is to connect to the first, has been requested by India not to be built without agreement.”
West Nawalparasi Chief District Officer Deepkaraj Nepal also held discussions with his counterpart in West Champaran, Bihar, who similarly urged that no construction take place in the disputed area without approval from both governments.
“It Is Nepali Territory”
Susta Rural Municipality Chairperson Teknarayan Upadhyay maintains that the area where the embankment construction was halted is within Nepal’s border region.
“This is not a disputed zone. That site was developed in 1965 (2022 BS) by the late King Mahendra to settle ex-servicemen,” he said. “All residents there are Nepali, and the land belongs to Nepal.”
According to the 1816 Sugauli Treaty, the international boundary between Nepal and India at Nawalparasi follows the Narayani River. Border experts note that Susta village was originally on the river’s west bank.
However, due to flooding, the Narayani River’s course changed, placing Susta on the eastern bank.
Currently, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force have posts in Susta, where approximately 300 households reside.
There is roughly 2,000 bighas of vacant land used by both Nepali and Indian populations, with both countries asserting ownership claims over the area for years.
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