The Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI) has urgently recalled 310 trucks and tankers loaded with petrol, diesel, LPG, and other goods from Nepal due to escalating violence and a curfew in Nepalgunj city, officials announced on Wednesday. The swift action, taken to protect drivers and prevent potential disasters involving flammable cargo, comes as Nepal grapples with widespread protests that have plunged the Himalayan nation into chaos, prompting heightened security measures at the India-Nepal border.

The recall was ordered by LPAI Chairman Jayant Singh on Tuesday, September 9, following reports of violent unrest in Nepal, including arson and vandalism that saw a customs office near the Nepalgunj Integrated Check Post (ICP) set ablaze by a mob. Sudhir Sharma, in-charge of the Rupaidiha ICP in Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, told PTI that 225 trucks, carrying goods worth several crores of rupees, remain parked at the ICP, awaiting safer conditions to resume their journey into Nepal. “With the coordinated efforts of local police, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), and Nepalese security forces, we safely retrieved all vehicles,” Sharma said, emphasizing that all drivers and staff are unharmed.

The unrest in Nepal, sparked by a controversial government ban on social media platforms, has led to deadly clashes, with at least 19 fatalities and over 300 injuries reported since Monday. The Nepal Army has imposed a nationwide curfew, and the resignation of Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli has further destabilized the region, disrupting cross-border trade and travel. Sharma noted that while six India-Nepal friendship buses carrying passengers from Delhi to Nepalgunj crossed the border over the past two days, no buses have arrived from Nepal since Tuesday, reflecting the severity of the situation.

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The Rupaidiha ICP, located 185 kilometers from Lucknow, is a critical hub for India-Nepal trade, facilitating the movement of goods and passengers through a single-window system that integrates customs, immigration, and quarantine services. Managed by the LPAI under the Ministry of Home Affairs, the ICP is designed to streamline cross-border operations, but the current crisis has halted its normal functioning. The recalled trucks, parked securely at Rupaidiha, include consignments of essential fuels and goods, underscoring the economic stakes of the disruption.

Local residents and traders expressed relief at the LPAI’s proactive measures. “Those fuel tankers could have been targeted in the violence,” said Anil Gupta, a Bahraich-based merchant. “Bringing them back was the right call.” The LPAI has assured that the trucks will be dispatched to Nepal once stability returns, with officials closely monitoring developments across the border.

The recall highlights the fragility of regional trade amid political turmoil and underscores the LPAI’s role in ensuring safety and security. As Nepal’s crisis continues, with the army enforcing restrictive orders, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the challenges facing cross-border commerce in times of unrest.

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