BARHABISHE, SEP 28 -
The Dashain
festival has already begun, but hundreds of Nepal-bound cargo stranded
in China’s Khasa and Tatopani are yet to arrive in Kathmandu.
The transportation cost has tripled. Although the Nepal Truck Container
Entrepreneurs’ Association has fixed the fair for Khasa-Kathmandu route
at Rs 85,000 per container, the rate has reached as high as Rs 250,000.
Traders said half of the goods meant for the festival is still stranded
on the border. The Araniko Highway has been damaged due to a landslide.
“Two-way traffic is not possible even on the from an alternative road,”
said trader Buddha Raj Basnet.
The alternative track was opened 12 days ago, and around 200 containers
have gone to Tatopani to bring imported goods, while around 350
containers carrying imported goods are heading towards Kathmandu,
according t to traders. The traders opened the alternative road
investing around Rs 17.5 million. Given the slow movement of the
containers, goods worth billions of rupees are stranded in Tatopani and
Khasa. The Chinese side has also not allowed containers to enter Khasa,
citing bridge maintenance. Traders said continuous rainfall has also
made it difficult to ply the containers on the alternative road. About
200 containers are awaiting their turn to pass through the
five-kilometre alternative road.
The traders are not sure whether the containers carrying food, garment,
footwear and construction materials will reach Kathmandu until the end
of the Dashain
festival. A driver, Hari Timilsina, said it could take at least 10
days to reach Kathmandu. “It is natural to see the rise in transport
fairs as containers are in short supply,” he said.
Nepal Truck Container Entrepreneurs’ Association Second Vice-president
Dorje Lama said they have not hiked the fair officially. “We cannot take
responsibility of the fair paid willingly by the traders,” he said.
“The massive rise in fair will cause rise in inflation.
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