The Indian Shasastra Seema Bal (SSB) has obstructed the installation of a hume pipe in Tumadani, Bhimdatta Municipality-9, along the Bhramadev-Gaddachowki road section in Kanchanpur district.

The hume pipe was being laid along the under-construction road to drain water. But on Sunday, a SSB team arrived at the site and prohibited workers from installing the hume pipe, locals said.

“The Indian security personnel have obstructed the works for the last two days. We are only trying to place hume pipe for water drainage,” said Ganesh Karki, a local man.

The SSB team has also been accused of snatching the mobile set of Rajib Pandey, the man responsible for overseeing the construction.

Chief District Officer Kumar Bahadur Khadka said he was planning to hold talks with his Indian counterpart about the issue. “It is said that the locals of Thapaliyal Kheda in India had asked SSB to stop the construction because it would affect their land. We are trying to settle the issue,” said CDO Khadka.

In March, Indian SSB in Punarbas Municipality had shot a Nepali man due to the tension over the construction of a culvert on the Nepali side.