Nepal, China celebrate symbolic reopening of Kerung border port

Nepal and China celebrated the resumption of Kerung border port on Thursday nearly six months of halt following the April 25 massive earthquake.



Though the Kerung border port, some 110 km from the capital, formally resumed its operation on Oct. 13, Thursday's ceremony is the symbolic reopening of trading point.



To mark the resumption, China sent food stuffs worth Rs 17 million to Nepal via the same route on Tuesday considering the shortage of essential goods during the upcoming biggest Dashain festival.



Nepalese trade entrepreneurs have been placing high hopes from the resumption of this trading point to recover their business loss. However, it might take some more weeks for smooth operation of the port, Chinese officials said.



Cheng Ji, head of the Political and News section at the Chinese Embassy who attended the reopening ceremony, informed Xinhua from the spot "Today's reopening is only the first step toward trade operation. Since the roads and infrastructures have been heavily damaged, it might take a long period of time for the smooth operation".



The 14 km road section between the Chinese city Kerung and Nepali custom office is quite narrow and risky. The Chinese Armed Police Force has been working over night to clear and reconstruct the roads that has been severely damaged by the quake.



Cheng Ji said "The situation here is not so good since damage is severe. The Chinese side has difficulties such as lack of permanent structures including water and power supply."



Since Tatopani, the largest trading point between China and Nepal, has remained closed due to the severe quake damage in Zangmu port and disruption in Araniko highway, traders have viewed Kerung as their second option.



Tsetan Gyalpo, a trader and hotel entrepreneur based in Syaphrubesi at bordering district Rasuwa told Xinhua "We wish to resume our daily life and regular business through border port soon. I am just waiting for the day to see loaded vehicles running on this road as before".



However, the Chinese disaster prevention and mitigation experts said that the Kerung border port cannot be the alternative of Tatopani, at least for some years.



A visiting Chinese expert and professor from the Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment Chen Xiaoqing who leads an 8 member delegation to Nepal, told Xinhua "The road from Nepal's bordering district Rasuwa to Kerung is quiet narrow and poor. It cannot resist the heavy loaded vehicles."

