Bageshwar: Authorities from India and Nepal have launched a joint survey following allegations that citizens from Nepal have encroached upon nearly six bigha of land within the no-man's-land zone near Thapliyal Kheda village along the India-Nepal border in Uttarakhand's Champawat district of the Kumaon region.
Inspection by Officials
Officials from the forest department and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) inspected the site on Thursday. Teams from Nepal's Armed Police Force and other police personnel joined them. SDM Pramod Kumar led the survey to determine the exact status of the land and resolve the matter.
Details from SDM Kumar
Sharing details with TOI on Friday, SDM Kumar said that officials went to the site after receiving information about the encroachment. He added: “A few individuals were found carrying out farming activities on the land. The matter is being examined and appropriate action will be taken based on the survey report.”
Sensitive Border Area
Thapliyal Kheda is close to Nepal's Brahmadev Mandi across the Tanakpur border, surrounded on three sides by Nepal, making the area sensitive from a border management perspective.
Concerns Raised
According to the Indian administration, citizens from the neighbouring country were suspected of putting up a fence and cultivating land, raising concerns among residents and border authorities on this side.
The latest incident comes a few weeks after Nepal PM Balendra Shah told Parliament in Kathmandu that border encroachment issues existed on both sides.
