The transportation cost has tripled. Although the Nepal Truck Container Entrepreneurs’ Association has fixed the fair for Khasa-Kathmandu route at Rs 85,000 per container, the rate has reached as high as Rs 250,000.

Traders said half of the goods meant for the festival is still stranded on the border. The Araniko Highway has been damaged due to a landslide. “Two-way traffic is not possible even on the from an alternative road,” said trader Buddha Raj Basnet.

The alternative track was opened 12 days ago, and around 200 containers have gone to Tatopani to bring imported goods, while around 350 containers carrying imported goods are heading towards Kathmandu, according t to traders. The traders opened the alternative road investing around Rs 17.5 million. Given the slow movement of the containers, goods worth billions of rupees are stranded in Tatopani and Khasa. The Chinese side has also not allowed containers to enter Khasa, citing bridge maintenance. Traders said continuous rainfall has also made it difficult to ply the containers on the alternative road. About 200 containers are awaiting their turn to pass through the five-kilometre alternative road.

The traders are not sure whether the containers carrying food, garment, footwear and construction materials will reach Kathmandu until the end of the Dashain festival. A driver, Hari Timilsina, said it could take at least 10 days to reach Kathmandu. “It is natural to see the rise in transport fairs as containers are in short supply,” he said.

Nepal Truck Container Entrepreneurs’ Association Second Vice-president Dorje Lama said they have not hiked the fair officially. “We cannot take responsibility of the fair paid willingly by the traders,” he said.  “The massive rise in fair will cause rise in inflation.”