August 19: The homework of loading and unloading dusty cargo in Nepal has already started. Until now, the loading and unloading of dusty cargo was taking place in the Indian border town of Raxaul. For the time being, preparations have been started to manage it at the Integrated Check Point (ICP) in Birgunj.

Harihar Paudel, chief customs officer of Birgunj Customs, informed that for now, the homework has been done to unload the cargo at the ICP and bringing it directly to the dry port by rail in the long run. 

Kamal Gyawali, Birgunj head of Nepal Intermodal Transport Development Committee, the regulator of ICP and the dry port, informed that preparations are being made to manage dusty cargo in Nepali territory from next October.

Gyawali also said that they are coordinating with the Birgunj Metropolitan City, local residents and concerned entrepreneurs.

Currently, dusty cargo such as coal, iron ore, slag coming from Indian Railways is unloaded in Raxaul. From there, it will be transported to the industry through the old Inerwa route of Birgunj. Industrial raw materials including iron blade, iron roll, salt and fertilizer are also unloaded in Raxaul. In the past, even clinker was unloaded in Raxaul and brought into Nepal. The loading and unloading of clinker was removed from there after locals protested that dusty cargo increased pollution.

Therefore, the demand for dusty cargo management in the within the country was raised. A team led by the then joint secretary of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supply, Ravi Shankar Sainju, discussed with the concerned parties but could not come up with a solution. The Sainju-led team also studied the feasibility of such cargo management in the area around Birganj port. Finally, dusty cargo is being managed at the ICP.