Build basic infrastructure at Korala border point: Traders

By Hari Krishna Sharma, Muktinath (Mustang), July 27: During an inspection of the Beni–Jomsom–Korala road project, a part of the Kaligandaki Corridor linking Nepal's north and south, in the second week of July, Minister for Physical Infrastructure Development, Sunil Lamsal, visited the Korala border point. 

During his meeting with Minister Lamsal, local businessman Pema Chhiring Gurung urged him to construct permanent business structures at the border.

Gurung said traders operating from temporary tents have repeatedly sought government support for permanent structures that meet official standards. He complained that strong winds frequently blow away the tents, while heavy snowfall damages them, leaving businesses vulnerable.

Around 60 tents are currently being used for commercial activities in the no-man's-land area near the border. Traders from Chhoser have repeatedly informed Namdu Gurung, Gandaki Province's Minister for Forests and Environment and the local representative, that the absence of durable infrastructure has prevented businesses from expanding.

Local trader Karma Gurung said residents have consistently appealed to visiting federal and provincial ministers, as well as senior government officials, to create a more business-friendly environment by developing essential infrastructure at the border. However, their concerns have largely been ignored.

"On the Chinese side, Nepali traders have access to much better facilities. We have been operating from tents for more than three years," he said.

While China has already developed permanent structures and expanded settlements around the border area, local traders have rued that Nepal has failed to prioritise even basic infrastructure. They expressed disappointment that the current fiscal year's 2026/27 budget did not allocate priority to such works.

Khawa Tsering Gurung, a member of the Tent Business Committee, said insufficient attention has been given to constructing facilities that would support traders. He noted that around 150 people earn their livelihoods directly from business at the Korala border, while drivers and labourers involved in transporting goods also depend on the trade. However, the lack of minimum infrastructure has limited commercial growth. 

Lomanthang Rural Municipality chairperson Tashi Nharbu Gurung said problems relating to drinking water and toilets have been addressed, but efforts to develop other permanent infrastructure have not received adequate support from government agencies despite repeated initiatives.

"Except for customs officials, employees of other government offices do not stay here. Immigration officials are also absent. Without proper infrastructure, the border point has not become as active as expected," he said.

Local traders currently cross into China each morning, conduct business and return to Nepal with goods later in the day.

According to Newton Lamsal, Chief Administrative Officer of Lomanthang Rural Municipality, around 600 ropanis of land are registered in the name of the Mustang Customs Office. As a result, legal complications have prevented the construction of permanent structures on the land currently being used for trade. He said the municipality is coordinating with relevant authorities to resolve the issue.

Lamsal said that until a few years ago, local residents only organised periodic markets at the border to import goods for household use. However, after trade through the Korala border increased significantly, traders requested the municipality to establish permanent business stalls.

Many residents have also shifted from their previous occupations to work in transporting goods between the border point and the Mustang Customs Office in Chhoser, located about 14 kilometres from Korala.

Situated at an altitude of 4,650 metres above sea level, the Korala border crossing was closed in the 1960s after Tibetan Khampa fighters used Nepali territory to launch resistance following China's incorporation of Tibet. The border was officially reopened about three years ago, while the Mustang Customs Office began commercial operations on mid-September last year. Since then, local traders have continued operating throughout the year despite sub-zero temperatures.