Tensions flare in Susta after Indian personnel dismantle flood barrier

Tensions flared along the disputed Nepal-India border in Nawalparasi West on Sunday when Indian security personnel reportedly crossed into Nepali territory and dismantled a makeshift embankment. The structure had been built by residents of Susta to protect their village from flooding, prompting a confrontation with locals.

This incident follows a similar event just two months prior, when Indian border personnel halted the construction of a permanent flood-control embankment in the same area. Videos circulating on social media depict heated exchanges between Susta residents and individuals identified by locals as Indian security personnel. Residents claim these personnel, in plain clothes, entered Nepali territory with spades and began destroying the earthen embankment villagers had recently erected.

"We came together to stop Indian security personnel as soon as we saw them entering our land," said resident Sarar Sah. "We protested as they arrived with spades and began destroying the embankment." The Armed Police Force of Nepal intervened to de-escalate the situation. Rabindra Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Susta Protection Campaign, stated that villagers built the temporary embankment only after Indian authorities blocked Nepal's construction of a permanent structure along the Narayani river.

The confrontation underscores the unresolved territorial dispute surrounding Susta, a highly sensitive section of the Nepal-India border. Unlike most of the boundary, which is marked by pillars, the roughly 24-kilometer Susta stretch lacks clear demarcation, relying instead on natural features like rivers and trees. This ambiguity has led to recurring disputes over land ownership and cultivation, with the Narayani river's changing course further complicating the border.

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We came together to stop Indian security personnel as soon as we saw them entering our land. We protested as they arrived with spades and began destroying the embankment.