5 days ago
Nepal Flash Floods Snarl Trade, Create 16-Kilometre Truck Queue
Flash floods in Nepal have made roads unsafe and difficult to use.
Trucks carrying goods from India are waiting to enter Nepal at the Sonauli border.
The line of trucks is about 16 kilometres long.
The delays could become worse if Nepal’s roads are not repaired or reopened soon.
Some people from India who work in Nepal are also trying to return home.
One worker from Maharajganj said the flood situation in Kathmandu was frightening.
In nearby Kushinagar, officials are watching an embankment and rivers for signs of danger.
Rescue and police teams are ready to help people in villages if flooding worsens.
About 16 kilometres of cargo trucks are queued on India’s side of the Sonauli border in Maharajganj, Uttar Pradesh.
Flooded and damaged roads in Nepal have delayed vehicles bound for Kathmandu and other destinations.
Police and security agencies are regulating traffic as the queue extends toward Nautanwa and affects the national highway.
Maharajganj resident Raj Kumar Gautam is returning from Kathmandu after escaping the floods, while his family depends on his income.
Authorities have increased vigilance along a 17.5-kilometre embankment in Kushinagar and deployed disaster-response and water-police teams.
- Who
- Cargo truck operators, residents of Maharajganj working in Nepal, and authorities in Maharajganj and Kushinagar are affected.
- What
- Nepal flash floods have disrupted cross-border trade, stranded cargo trucks, displaced workers, and prompted heightened flood monitoring.
- Where
- The main impacts are at the Sonauli border in Maharajganj and along the Narwajot–Ahirauli embankment in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, with flooding in Nepal including Kathmandu.
- When
- During the reported flash-flood emergency; Raj Kumar Gautam spoke with his family at around 4 pm on Thursday.
- Why
- Flooded and damaged roads in Nepal have slowed traffic and prevented goods vehicles from moving normally.
Key facts
- Truck queue
- Around 16 kilometres on the Indian side of the Sonauli border.
- Affected routes
- Routes to Kathmandu and other parts of Nepal are experiencing delays.
- Traffic concern
- The queue has extended toward Nautanwa and may affect national-highway movement.
- Embarkment under watch
- Authorities are monitoring a 17.5-kilometre embankment between Narwajot and Ahirauli in Kushinagar.
- Returning worker
- Raj Kumar Gautam, a furniture worker in Kathmandu, is returning to Maharajganj via Bihar.
- Emergency deployment
- NDRF, SDRF, PAC, water police, revenue, police, and flood-control teams are monitoring affected areas.
- Reported flood debris
- Residents saw a gas cylinder, bed, and refrigerator carried away by strong currents near Chhitauni and Valmikinagar.
Quotes
Basant Singh
Circle Officer overseeing security and police preparedness at the Sonauli border
“Surveillance at the Sonauli border has been intensified, and police station heads in the border areas have been directed to remain alert.”
m.rediff.com
deccanchronicle.com
telegraphindia.com










