The Indian border security force, Sashastra Seema Bal, has started digging a trench near the no-man’s-land between Nepal and India, off the Dokebazar village in Punarbas Municipality-11, Kanchanpur. 

The SSB has said that the trench is being dug as a conservation effort to protect the animals of Dudhwa National Park. Two years earlier, the Indian authorities had tried to construct an embankment in the same area. The construction was later halted at the request of District Administration Office.

“The Indian side has been digging a trench near the no-man’s land. They have been constructing an embankment like structure,” said Punarbas Mayor Jeevan Raj Thapa. 

Locals have complained that the structure could inundate their homes during monsoon. 

Besides digging of the trench, the SSB is also constructing a fence between border pillars 171 and 773 in Dokebazar. Assistant Chief District Officer Shankar Bista said they the Indian authorities were digging the trench to stop the movement of wild animals from Dudhwa National Park. 

“We have asked the Indian authorities to stop the digging for the time being, so that we could carry out field inspection,” said Bista, adding that the construction works will be stopped if any infrastructures are being built on the no-man’s land.

Mayor Thapa said his office had already notified the District Administration Office and the District Police Office about the trench that was being dug near the no-man’s-land.

“Though the trench is being dug on the Indian soil, it does pose the danger of flood towards Nepal. So we have urged the authorities concerned to talk with the Indian side to stop it,” he said.

In March 2018, Indian SSB personnel had obstructed Nepali authorities while constructing an electric fence at Khadda Kankad in Punarbas-10. They had uprooted poles while municipal office was trying to construct electric fence to stop movement of wild animals.