Widespread floods and landslides have severely disrupted major highways across Nepal and key border crossings with China, prompting urgent diplomatic efforts to restore connectivity and trade. The disruptions, which began on Ashoj 11 (BS), have impacted vital routes, including those leading to the strategically important Nepal-China border points.
Among the immediate impacts, all gates of the Kaligandaki Hydropower Project dam have been opened, and a bridge connecting two provinces has been swept away by floodwaters. While the specific name and current status of the bridge remain unknown, its loss highlights the extensive damage to infrastructure.
Landslides and floods have also caused significant obstructions at Nepal’s border crossings with China, including Tatopani, Kerung, and Korala. These blockages have severely hampered the movement of goods and people, affecting bilateral trade.
Nepal is engaged in serious discussions with China to fully operationalise these border points and remove trade bottlenecks, according to information from Ashoj 13 (BS). Engineer Narayan Dutta Bhandari, Division Chief of the Charikot Road Division, stated on Ashoj 14 (BS) that there are no issues with the road on the Nepali side for the Tatopani border point, and necessary improvements are expected to be completed within one to two days.
Impact on Trade and Connectivity
The disruption to these border points is particularly critical given Nepal’s geopolitical position between two rising powers, India and China. The Kerung-Rasuwagadhi gateway, for instance, is strategically, economically, and geopolitically vital as a primary trade route with China. Previous concerns have been raised about a lack of clarity in Nepal’s foreign policy, which has sometimes left the country vulnerable to being seen as either an ‘area of influence’ for India or a ‘strategic pawn’ for China, according to information from Shrawan 17, 2082 (BS).
National Disaster Management Strategy
It has been stated that disaster management should no longer be treated as a local or emergency issue but rather as a central component of national development strategy. This requires a scientific approach, long-term planning, and institutional capacity building, as noted on Ashoj 13, 2083 (BS).
The Way Forward
As Nepal continues its dialogue with China to resolve border obstructions and fully restore the movement of goods and people, the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport has also released its annual program for the fiscal year 2083/84 (BS). While immediate repairs are underway for routes like Tatopani, the full extent of the damage to the country’s road networks and the progress of reconstruction efforts are yet to be fully detailed.
The precise context of the phrase “One gorge, two doors: Nepal’s hedge meets the mountain” from a source article, and what ‘hedge’ and ‘two doors’ refer to, remains unclear without the full article content. Similarly, the name and current status of the bridge washed away by floods are not yet known.
