KATHMANDU, June 1: Tension has gripped the Susta area of West Nawalparasi following controversial remarks on the Nepal–India border made by Prime Minister Balendra Shah during a parliamentary session on Sunday, with local representatives reporting that Indian border security personnel obstructed ongoing embankment construction along the Narayani River.
Locals and elected representatives said personnel from India’s Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) entered an embankment construction site in Susta Municipality-5 and pressured workers to halt the project, which was aimed at controlling river erosion and protecting nearby settlements.
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Susta Rural Municipality Chair Tek Narayan Upadhyay said around 40 to 50 SSB personnel arrived at the site and immediately stopped the construction, instructing workers to discontinue the project.
The embankment work was part of ongoing efforts to control river cutting along the Narayani River, a long-standing concern for the flood-prone settlement on the Nepal–India border.
Following the incident, construction work was disrupted and security presence in the area has been tightened, local sources said.
However, no official response has yet been received from the Indian side regarding the allegations.
Susta, a sensitive strip along the Nepal–India border, has long been a flashpoint due to shifting river courses and disputed territorial claims, with tensions periodically resurfacing over the years.
