Nepal has begun construction of a helipad at a disputed site in Bihar’s West Champaran district near the Indian border.
According to the Hindustan Times, Nepal started construction on Thursday before the Indian administration inspected the area.
The proposed helipad is 60 km from Beltia in Champaran district. It is being built near the Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR), some distance from the Thari border outpost of the Nepal Border Security Force (BSF).
“As far as we know, the construction of a helipad for small helicopters near the Indo-Nepal border has started a few days ago,” said Rajendra Bharadwaj, Commandant, Armed Border Battalion.
On August 4, the Hindustan Times reported that construction of a helipad on a disputed land on the Indo-Nepal border was about to begin without a permit.
Nepalese officials have blamed the changing pace of the Gandak River for the controversy surrounding the village of Narsahi on the Nepal-India border.
SSB officials said the international border between Nepal and India lies along the middle of the Gandak River. However, with the change of course of the river in the 1980s, the village of Narsahi also moved to the other side of the river. Later the Indian nationals living there migrated to Indian territory.
A video clip obtained by the Hindustan Times shows a helipad being built with a yellow border around a farmland. Bricks and water tanks were seen there. It is believed that the construction work has started after seeing the pieces of iron rod and wet soil.
Tensions between India and Nepal began recently after Nepal released a new map claiming Uttarakhand’s Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura as its territories. After that, Nepal started such construction work in the border area.
Nepal has plans to build two more helipads on the Indo-Nepal border. One is in Balmikinagar (West Champaran of Nepal) and the other is in Ujjain (border district of Nepal) in Ujjain.
Mahesh Agarwal, president of the Seema Jagran Mancha in Bihar, which works in the border areas, said, “A handful of KP Sharma Oli supporters are trying to provoke us. A large section of Nepalis are in favor of maintaining their old relationship with us. Now New Delhi should break the silence and do the necessary work.
