16-km truck queue builds up at India-Nepal border in UP as floods disrupt trade

PTI, August 28, 2026, Maharajganj/ Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh: The Nepal flash floods have disrupted cross-border trade between India and the neighbouring country, with the movement of goods vehicles to Kathmandu and other parts of Nepal via Maharajganj in Uttar Pradesh, affected by damaged and flooded roads.

A queue of around 16 km of cargo vehicles has formed on the Indian side of the Sonauli border in Maharajganj as trucks wait to enter Nepal.

Besides vehicles bound for Kathmandu, cargo trucks heading to other parts of Nepal are also facing delays as traffic movement on several routes remains affected.

The queue has extended towards Nautanwa, raising concerns over traffic movement on the national highway. Security agencies and police personnel are monitoring the situation and regulating the movement of vehicles.

Circle Officer Basant Singh said, "Surveillance at the Sonauli border has been intensified, and police station heads in the border areas have been directed to remain alert."

Officials warned that the situation could worsen if road connectivity in Nepal is not restored soon, potentially delaying the movement and supply of goods between the two countries.

The floods have also affected residents of Maharajganj who work in Nepal.

Raj Kumar Gautam, a resident of Jagarnathpur village, is returning home after escaping the flood situation in Nepal, where he had been working as a furniture worker in Kathmandu for nearly a year.

Gautam told his family over the phone that the situation was terrifying, with several families left devastated and people struggling to reach safer places amid panic and chaos.

His daughter Ankita said she spoke to him around 4 pm on Thursday, when he informed the family that he was returning home by bus via Bihar.

Gautam is the sole earning member of his family, supporting the livelihood and education of his children.

In the neighbouring Kushinagar, authorities have intensified vigilance along the 17.5-km embankment between Narwajot and Ahirauli.

Revenue, police and flood-control teams are monitoring vulnerable stretches. Additional District Magistrate Vaibhav Mishra said vigilance in riverside villages had been increased.

Residents near Chhitauni and Valmikinagar reported seeing household articles, including a gas cylinder, bed and refrigerator, being carried away by the strong current. Some locals pulled the items out of the water.

NDRF and SDRF teams remain deployed in villages, while PAC and water police personnel have also been put on alert.

Other small seasonal rivers and water channels in the area are being monitored closely.