Birgunj, April 26: Fresh vegetables from the Indian border town of Raxaul are quietly making their way into Birgunj without quarantine checks, because apparently rules are more of a suggestion near open borders.
Farmers of Chitwan stage protest by throwing vegetables on the...
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Traders are using the open border points connecting Parsa and Bara districts to bring in vegetables daily, mostly on bicycles. Taking advantage of these crossings, cyclists regularly transport fresh vegetables and fruits from Raxaul into Birgunj.
Open entry points in areas such as Bishrampur Rural Municipality in Bara and Nagwa and Inarwa in Birgunj Metropolitan City have become convenient routes. Cyclists involved in daily “carrying” operations move large quantities of produce through these crossings.
Ajit Bhujel, a central member of the Consumer Rights Protection Forum, warned that vegetables and fruits entering without quarantine checks pose a risk to public health and should be controlled. He said organized groups are using places like Chapkaiya, Inarwa, and Bishrampur to bring in large volumes daily via bicycles, stressing that local authorities and the Armed Police Force need to pay attention.
Every morning, from early hours, cyclists bring in Indian vegetables into Birgunj without any quarantine inspection. So far, local authorities and the Armed Police Force deployed along the border have failed to take effective action.
Chief District Officer Bhola Dahal said only vegetables and fruits that have completed customs procedures and passed quarantine checks should be allowed entry. “Fresh produce cannot be brought in without quarantine inspection,” he said, adding that any such activity would be monitored and controlled.
Meanwhile, Superintendent of Armed Police Force Nepal No. 13 Battalion, Mohan Bahadur Chhetri, said most of the unchecked vegetables are entering not directly from Parsa’s border points but through areas connected to Bishrampur Rural Municipality in Bara before reaching the Birgunj market.
