MUSTANG: A joint security patrol has been carried out in the snow-covered border area at Korala along the northern Nepal–China frontier in Mustang.
The joint patrol was conducted on Sunday by a combined team comprising personnel from the Armed Police Force (APF), Nepal Police and representatives of the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), Lomanthang, according to officials.
ACAP Lomanthang Office Chief Umesh Poudel said the joint patrol was organised to prevent possible wildlife poaching and smuggling during the winter season, as well as to control potential crimes, illegal activities and other undesirable incidents that may occur in the border area.
Led by Poudel, around a dozen personnel from the APF Border Outpost (BOP) stationed at Nechung in Lomanthang–2, along with Nepal Police and ACAP staff, were deployed in the joint patrol despite sub-zero temperatures and thick snow, ACAP Lomanthang said.
This marks the first joint border security patrol in the northern Nepal–China border area during the winter season. Officials said border areas tend to remain largely deserted in winter, increasing the risk of poaching, smuggling and other illegal activities, which prompted the deployment of a joint security team in the Korala region.
The patrol team covered the stretch from Border Pillar No. 24 at the Korala pass to Border Pillars No. 25, 26, 27 and 28 towards the Manang side.
Although Upper Mustang experienced heavy snowfall on Kartik 10, there has been no further snowfall since then. However, the snow that fell on that date still remains intact across much of the Nepal–China border area. ACAP Lomanthang said the joint patrol was initiated with the support of security personnel deployed in the region.
With the onset of winter, cold conditions have intensified in Upper Mustang, where morning and evening temperatures often plunge to minus 20 degrees Celsius. Due to the extreme cold, most local residents have already migrated to lower regions to escape the winter. Security personnel deployed in the border areas, however, continue to remain on duty, enduring harsh conditions to safeguard the border.
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