A border dispute between Humla and Bajura districts in northwestern Nepal has intensified, with tensions rising over the construction of temporary police posts in a contested area along the boundary of the two districts.

Residents of Humla have accused Bajura’s Himali Rural Municipality of attempting to build structures inside Humla’s territory in areas including Ranisen, Chyachaur and Lampata, which fall under Kharpunath, Sarkegad, Tanjakot, Simkot and Namkha rural municipalities of Humla.

Representatives of political parties in Humla issued a joint press statement on Thursday, alleging that Himali Rural Municipality had tried to carry out construction activities within Humla’s border. They also rejected reports claiming that residents, including ward member Pema Gurung Lama, had built a cremation site in the disputed area, calling such reports baseless.

The statement further accused local representatives and residents of ward 3 of Himali Rural Municipality of engaging in “unilateral and anarchic activities”.

“An attempt has been made to claim Bajura’s ownership over Humla’s land by arbitrarily constructing structures in the border area,” the statement said.

The dispute has also disrupted transportation along the national highway, leaving travellers stranded for the past three days.

Passengers travelling to and from Humla via Nepalgunj and Surkhet have been stopped in the Dhulachaur area. According to locals, many travellers have been forced to stay in the open, while shortages of food and drinking water have started to emerge.

Political parties in Humla have urged the federal government to intervene immediately to resolve the dispute. They said a memorandum had already been submitted to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, demanding that all activities in the disputed area be halted.

Through the statement, the parties also put forward a five-point demand, including an immediate halt to construction activities in the contested area, legal action against those involved in the incident, the reopening of the national highway, and legal action against those accused of ‘holding travellers hostage’ by obstructing the road.

They warned that further protest programmes would be announced if the road was not reopened immediately.