Matihani Municipality in Mahottari has placed temporary bamboo fences along the one-and-a-half-kilometres-long border it shares with Madhwapur bazaar in Bihar, India, to stop the cross-border movement of people. The local unit constructed the fence following the recommendation of the District Disaster Management Committee in Mahottari.

According to the representatives of the municipality, the move was made to prevent the possible spread of coronavirus in the local units, as cross-border movement of people is still rampant despite the nationwide lockdown in place. Matihani locals cross the border to Madhwapur bazaar, the nearest market area, to buy daily essentials.

Hari Prasad Mandal, mayor of the municipality, said security personnel of the Armed Police Force in Mahottari helped the local unit put up the bamboo fence.

“The border has been sealed from Garibnath Temple to Parsa Gaun. The municipality invested Rs 200,000 and used 2,500 bamboo trees to build the fence,” said Mandal. “For the time being, the barrier has been constructed to stop people’s movement and encroachment from India. We will keep the barrier post lockdown too if needed.”

According to Mandal, it took around a week to build and install the fence. Some work is still to be completed in the Parsa Gaun area and will be completed by Friday, he said.

Nirkrishna Adhikari, superintendent of police of the Armed Police Force in Mahottari, said, “The movement of people from the border has come under control since the installation of the bamboo fence. Monitoring of the border area has also become easier.”

Mahottari shares 38.6 kilometres of border area with India. The Armed Police Force in Mahottari has tightened security in 40 border points in the district after the Nepal-India border was sealed to enforce the nationwide lockdown.

“We have also requested other local units to construct bamboo fences along the border,” said Adhikari, adding that some of the local units have expressed their interest to do so. “We will soon start constructing barriers in other local units as well.”