KATHMANDU: Persistent rainfall triggered floods and landslides that have obstructed the Kaligandaki corridor, bringing Nepal-China overland trade to a halt. The Department of Roads reported that multiple sections of the corridor are blocked due to landslides, inundation, and damage to bridges and culverts.

With the Rasuwagadhi-Kerung border crossing already closed and the Tatopani border crossing indefinitely suspended by the Chinese side, the Korala border point in Mustang had become the primary route for bilateral trade. However, the recent weather-induced damage has now severed this link as well.

Tejashwi Sharma, chief of the Kaligandaki corridor project, stated that several areas, including Kerabari, Farse, Lamakhet, Beni-Galeshwor, and Kagbeni, have been affected. While efforts are underway to clear the Mustang section by Monday evening, Sharma noted that restoring traffic in the Myagdi section will take longer due to the destruction of bridge approach roads.

Ramhari Karki, president of the Nepal Trans-Himalayan Border Commerce Association, emphasized that the Korala route is geographically challenging for trade. ‘Even during the summer, trade is difficult, and in winter, vehicles get stuck in the snow,’ Karki said. He urged the government to initiate diplomatic efforts to reopen the Tatopani border crossing while the other routes remain non-operational.

According to Department of Customs data, trade through the Korala border point reached Rs 8.33 billion by the end of the Nepali month of Bhadra in the current fiscal year 2083/84. This figure includes imports worth Rs 8.33 billion and exports totaling Rs 3.44 million. In the month of Shrawan alone, imports through the Mustang customs office amounted to Rs 588.78 million.