Mustang, Oct 2: More than 150 containers carrying goods imported from China have been stranded at the Korala border point after rain triggered floods and landslides at several locations along the Beni–Jomsom–Korala road.
The containers are stuck at the Nechung Customs Office in Lo Manthang Rural Municipality 4.
Heavy rain since Saturday night has damaged the Beni–Jomsom–Korala road at 46 locations due to floods, landslides and river erosion, bringing import and export trade through the Korala border point to a halt.
Bidur Chudal, chief of the Mustang Customs Office, said most containers carrying imported goods had already completed customs clearance but could not proceed to their destinations because of the road closures.
“More than 150 containers are currently in the customs yard at Korala. About 90 per cent have completed customs clearance,” Chudal said. “A few containers are still undergoing clearance, which should be completed within two days.”
He said Korala had emerged as Nepal’s only alternative overland trade route with China after the Tatopani and Rasuwagadhi border points were completely closed. However, the latest rain has now disrupted this route as well.
Chudal said the road disruption during the peak season for importing goods from China ahead of the Dashain and Tihar festivals could also reduce government revenue.
After floods completely closed the Rasuwagadhi–Kerung border point on August 26 (Bhadra 10), the Mustang Customs Office at Korala had been collecting more than Rs 300 million in revenue daily, he said.
According to the customs office, imports through Korala include readymade goods for the Dashain festival, industrial raw materials, daily essentials, fruits, electrical goods, clothes and electric vehicles.
Around 200 electric vehicles have also been stranded due to disruptions on the Korala road section.
More than 100 of them have been stuck at the Jomsom bus park for the past five days, unable to travel further south, according to the Armed Police Force’s No. 33 Company in Jomsom.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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