The Indian state of Tamil Nadu, in a bid to curb the spread of the virus, has raised a 7 ft tall wall separating it and its neighbour Andhra Pradesh state
By Our Reporter
The open border of Nepal with India has posed the biggest risk for Nepal in passing on the coronavirus. When one third of the coronavirus patients in Nepal are Indian nationals and many of the cases are imported from India, one could realise the risk of open border during COVID-19 pandemic.
When many countries have closed borders, Nepal has not yet closed the southern border effectively. Taking benefit of the open borders and due to lack of presence of Nepali border security force in borders, people are still entering into Nepal.
Even the other day a group of people who arrived in Pashupatinagar of Ilam from India was sent back.
When a few Indian states have completely prohibited movement of people from other states, it is not understandable why Nepal has not closed its international border to control the transmission of the disease.
A few Indian states have closed down their borders to prevent and control coronavirus in their states.
News reports have it that authorities in Tamil Nadu have erected seven feet tall concrete walls across two of the roads connecting its Vellore district to Andhra Pradesh’s Chittoor district to regulate inflow of vehicles during the Covid-19 lockdown.
When the Indian states have been regulating cross state borders, Nepal and India should follow suit by building similar walls to control human movement as well as smuggling of goods and possible terrorist activities.
If the two countries construct barriers in Nepal-India borders to stop illegal trade as well as migration of people freely, many criminal and other activities could be brought under control besides being helpful in controlling the spread of COVID-19.
India, especially the Indian media point their fingers at Nepal whenever any terrorist attack is made in India. Likewise, Nepal is blamed for the smuggling of goods.
Similarly, many people who commit crime in Nepal reach India to avoid arrest and legal actions. It is because one can cross the border from any point easily within less than an hour by committing crime in southern plains.
Regulation of the border by erecting barriers could be helpful to control cross border criminal activities, smuggling and international terrorist activities in both the countries.
Now when the two countries have taken measures to somehow regulate the borders to control COVID-19 spread, they need to think about permanent regulation of the open borders so that it will be easier to control the spread of pandemic from one country to another in future. Moreover, regulation of borders will help control criminal activities to a great extent.
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