The Tatopani border crossing with China has remained closed for four days after a section of the Kodari–Tatopani stretch of the Araniko Highway collapsed following landslides.

Traffic has come to a complete halt after the road subsided into the Bhote Koshi River, leaving dozens of freight containers stranded at Khasa.

Kumar Shrestha, ward chair of Bhote Koshi Rural Municipality-2, said continuous rainfall on Wednesday triggered debris flow from the upper hills, which eventually caused the road to collapse.

He said the damage is severe and cannot be repaired through minor intervention. “The road cannot be reopened without heavy machinery,” Shrestha said. “Dozens of houses in the settlements above the road are also at risk.”

Locals and traders are worried a lot as the 26-kilometre Kodari Highway, linking Tatopani in Bhote Koshi Rural Municipality-2 with the Chinese border, remains in poor condition. The Bahrabise–Tatopani stretch, built 57 years ago, has long been in a deteriorated state.

“This area generates billions in revenue, yet it has been neglected by the government,” Shrestha said. “A contract worth Rs495 million was finally awarded, but it was later cancelled even after work had started.”

Earlier, the Road Division Office in Charikot had signed a contract worth around Rs495 million and begun slope stabilisation work, including the construction of retaining structures. However, the project was halted after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a letter stating that the construction and landslide mitigation work in the section would be undertaken by a Chinese company. Officials say the Chinese team has not yet arrived at the site.

Narayan Bhandari, chief of the Road Division Office in Charikot, said work was suspended after receiving the ministry’s directive, despite the project already being underway. The contract had been awarded to TS & Construction, and around 15 percent of the work had been completed before it was stopped.

“We halted the work after receiving the letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The contract with the ongoing company has been terminated,” Bhandari said.

Local authorities, the district administration, and stakeholders have repeatedly raised concerns over landslide risks and pushed for long-term stabilisation measures. Former lawmaker Madhav Sapkota and ward chair Shrestha have also sought budget allocations from the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport.

Fruits rot in containers

With the border point closed, cross-border trade has been severely disrupted. Goods stored in containers stranded at Khasa are beginning to spoil.

Trader Sharada Prasad Parajuli said 12 containers of apples imported from China are at risk of rotting. “It has already been several days, and this is the condition of the border. More than a dozen containers are stuck on the Eco section,” he said. “If the road does not open before the monsoon, all the apples will rot.”

He added that machinery and materials for various projects are also stuck in transit, leaving commercial activities at a standstill.