NAWALPARASI:-  The Indian Border Security Force (SSB) has obstructed the construction of an embankment that Nepal is planning to build in Susta Rural Municipality-5 of Nawalparasi to protect the Susta from erosion by the Narayani River.

The SSB has obstructed the construction project even when Nepal tried to build the embankment on its own land, according to project officials. The SSB obstructed the construction of the embankment on its own land, 50 meters north of the Nepal-India border from the Susta Bridge, said Adam Khan, coordinator of the Susta Bachau Abhiyan.

“The area where the Vellar (Simal) tree is located is considered the border, but Nepal is planning to build a 132-meter-long embankment under a new project on its own land 50 meters away from that, and the SSB from Balmikinagar in Bhaisalotan has asked them not to work, calling this a disputed area,” Khan said.

He said that even if the SSB obstructs, they will not remain silent. “This is Nepali land, we will not hesitate to sacrifice our lives to protect our land,” Khan said. “This is an Indian plan to surround Susta from all sides. Tomorrow, all the people here will go to the construction site and hold a sit-in and pressure them to move forward with the work.”

He suspects that India has obstructed the work on the grounds that if the embankment is not built, the Narayani River will drown Susta and the border will be changed if the river changes its course. Chief District Officer of West Nawalparasi Deepak Raj Nepal also said that since the Indian side has already informed the Home Ministry about the obstruction, they will now proceed based on orders from above.

“They have asked us to stop the work, saying that this is a disputed area and that it is against the agreement reached in 2023. We will study what was agreed upon at that time and proceed as per the directives of the central government,” said Pradya Nepal.

The Irrigation and Water Resources Management Project Bharatpur under the federal government has awarded the embankment construction contract to Harry & JV Construction Pvt. Ltd. for Rs 14 million. The project engineer Bel Bahadur BK said that the obstruction occurred when the contractor company arrived at the field to work with the necessary equipment.

After the flood from the northern part of the Susta entered the settlement during the rainy season last year, the locals stayed up all night and filled sand bags to protect the settlement. The locals are worried that if a strong river control structure is not built before the rainy season, the Susta will overflow with the flood waters.

Susta is surrounded by the Narayani River on three sides and Indian land on one side. Therefore, if the river enters the settlement, it will be a problem even for rescue, says Khan, coordinator of the Susta Save Campaign. More than 3,200 Nepalis live here in about 350 households.

India is encroaching on 14,500 hectares of the 40,980 hectares of Susta. According to Armed Police Force Nepal BOP Susta Police Inspector Basanta Pandit, 19,980 hectares of the area has been declared disputed, while Nepal is occupying only 7,000 hectares of land. Of that, only 556 bighas of land are in the name of locals.

Earlier, there was a whole village panchayat here with 9 wards. The village panchayat was displaced after the flood in the Narayani River in 2034 BS. According to Kishan Sharma Gaire, advisor to the Susta Bachau Abhiyan, India has been increasing encroachment from the south of the displaced area.

In 2025 BS, administrative work was started in Susta by establishing a panchayat office, school, post office, police post and other offices. In 2027 BS, while the Survey Department was surveying and mapping Susta, the Indian police administration arrested the surveyor’s employees.

They were sent to Bettiah Jail in Champaran, India, and released on bail after a year. With the agreement of both Nepal and India, land ownership certificates for 556 bighas of land were distributed in Susta in 2029 BS. However, locals claim that India has been continuously encroaching on Susta since 2062 BS. Since then, no boundary survey has been conducted in Susta.