KUSHINAGAR: Flash floods in Nepal have disrupted cross-border trade with India, affecting the movement of goods vehicles to Kathmandu and other parts of the country via Maharajganj in Uttar Pradesh, as roads have been damaged and flooded.According to news agency PTI, a queue of around 16 km of cargo vehicles has formed on the Indian side of the Sonauli border in Maharajganj, with trucks waiting to enter Nepal.Cargo vehicles bound for Kathmandu as well as other parts of Nepal are facing delays, as traffic movement on several routes remains disrupted.The queue has extended towards Nautanwa, raising concerns over traffic movement on the national highway. Security agencies and police personnel are monitoring the situation and regulating the movement of vehicles.Circle officer Basant Singh said, “Surveillance at the Sonauli border has been intensified, and police station heads in the border areas have been directed to remain alert.”Officials warned that the situation could worsen if road connectivity in Nepal is not restored soon, potentially causing further delays in the movement and supply of goods between the two countries.The floods have also affected residents of Maharajganj who work in Nepal, disrupting their daily commute.Raj Kumar Gautam, a resident of Jagarnathpur village, is returning home after fleeing the floods in Nepal, where he had been working as a furniture worker in Kathmandu for nearly a year.Gautam told his family over the phone that the situation was frightening, with several families devastated by the floods and people struggling to reach safer areas amid panic and chaos.His daughter, Ankita, said she spoke to him around 4 pm on Thursday, when he told the family that he was returning home by bus via Bihar.Gautam is the sole earning member of his family, supporting the livelihood and education of his children.In the neighbouring Kushinagar, authorities have intensified vigilance along the 17.5-km embankment between Narwajot and Ahirauli.Revenue, police and flood-control teams are monitoring vulnerable stretches, while vigilance has been stepped up in riverside villages, Additional District Magistrate Vaibhav Mishra said.Residents near Chhitauni and Valmikinagar reported seeing household items, including a gas cylinder, bed and refrigerator, being swept away by the strong current. Some locals managed to pull the items out of the water.NDRF and SDRF teams remain deployed in villages, while PAC and water police personnel have also been put on alert. Other small seasonal rivers and water channels in the area are being monitored closely.(With agency inputs)
