BUTWAL: Tension flared in the Susta area of West Nawalparasi on Sunday after members of India’s Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) allegedly entered Nepali territory and dismantled an under-construction temporary embankment, according to local residents.
Locals claimed that at around 3:30 pm, about 15 SSB personnel in plain clothes and around 60 armed personnel crossed into Nepali territory.
According to residents, the personnel dismantled an approximately 132-metre earthen embankment being constructed at Tharu Tol in Susta Rural Municipality-5.
Residents said they protested as the embankment was being destroyed but were unable to stop the personnel because of their large numbers and the presence of armed security forces.
Yogendra Gautam, coordinator of the Susta Bachau Youth Campaign, claimed the SSB personnel entered about 300 metres inside Nepali territory from the silk cotton tree locally regarded as the boundary marker between the two countries. He said the incident led to a confrontation between local residents and the Indian security personnel.
According to locals, this is not the first such incident. They said Indian security personnel had also entered the area in June and pressured locals to halt embankment construction.
Local resident Munna Khan said the absence of border pillars, frequent shifts in the course of the Narayani River and repeated intervention from the Indian side have contributed to the longstanding border dispute in the Susta area.
Following the incident, Nepal’s Armed Police Force (APF) was deployed to the area to prevent further escalation. Nepali security agencies said they are collecting additional information about the incident.
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