Tension on Indo-Nepal border as a worker injured in stone pelting from Nepalese side
Tension on Indo-Nepal border as a worker injured in stone pelting from Nepalese side
B.D.Kasniyal
Pithoragarh, Dec 5
Tensions prevailed on the Indo-Nepal border at Dharchula town of Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand following stone pelting by some miscreants from Nepal and blocking of the bridge over river Kali by Indian traders against stone pelting by Nepalese, today.
The dispute had arisen following construction of a protection wall along river Kali by India on its’ own side of the river. The river Kali forms the international boundary between Nepal and India. The protection wall which has been built was aimed at protecting Dharchula town from floods during monsoon period. Nepal had already constructed the protection wall in its’ side and the Indian authorities were also starting the construction on its’ own side which was opposed by some elements in Nepal.
Some miscreants threw stones on Indian workers from Nepal as they feared that the protection wall on Indian side would inundate the Nepal side of the river bank during rains and floods and were opposed to the construction wall on Indian side.
A worker was injured on Sunday as some miscreants threw stones from Nepal, Dharchula SDM Divesh Shasni said on Monday. The nepalse police resorted to lathicharge on those indulging in stone pelting in which an Indian trader , who was on the other side for some work, also got injured. The locals and traders of Dharchula town on India side today bloked the bridge connecting the two countries for two hours from 7 am till 9 am as a mark of protect against stone pelting on Sunday.
Traders here on Monday blocked a border bridge with Nepal for two hours to protest against stone pelting from the neighbouring country on workers building a wall along the Kali river on the Indian side, an official said.
One of the workers was injured on Sunday as local people hurled stones from the other side of the river which falls in Nepal, Dharchula SDM Divesh Shasni said on Monday.
He said as the authorities in Darchula in the neighbouring country resorted to lathicharge to disperse the mob hurling stones at the construction workers, an Indian trader, who was there on some personal work, was injured
The Nepalese people living near the border have been opposing the construction of the wall along the Kali river as they fear it will cause floods in their area.
The bridge between India and Nepal was closed from 7 am to 9 am and the blockade was lifted only after assurances from the Nepalese authorities that action would be taken against those responsible within three days. Dharchula SDM said that the blockade was lifted after assurance from Nepalese authorities to take action against the miscreants within three days.
“The bridge was opened only after the chief district officer of Darchula (Nepal) contacted the Indian authorities and the SDM of Dharchula (India) and promised to take action against the stone pelters and the lathicharge on the Indian trader,” said Bhupendra Singh Thapa, president of the traders association of Dharchula. Thapa warned of resuming the blockade if action is not taken as promised.
