Construction of border outpost completes in Tinkar

By Our Correspondence
Darchula, Aug. 11: Construction work on the Armed Police Force’s Border Outpost (BOP) at the Nepal-China border in Tinkhar of Vyas Rural Municipality, Darchula, has completed. Yogesh Bohara, a local contractor who was assigned with the responsibility of the outpost construction expressed his exuberance over completing the project in less than a month.

Located at a high altitude, the road leading up to the outpost in Chiyalekh, just two kilometres away from Tinkar village, is treacherous as a result of which helicopters were used to speed up the supply of building materials.
“It’s commendable that the two buildings of the outpost including a kitchen and restrooms have come into fruition in just about a month,” shared SP Narendra Bam of Battalion No. 44 of the Armed Police Force, Darchula, lauding the builders for their speedy work.

There aren’t any human settlements from Chiyalekh upwards. After five hours of arduous uphill journey from Tinkar Village comes the first border pillar.
Just below the village, an APF base is currently under construction at Chhangru village near Kalapani. Unlike the APF’s BOP, however, the base is not ready yet despite surpassing the construction deadline. Chandra & Basanta Gwallek Nati JV, the company entrusted with the project, blames cold weather, rain and snowfall for the delay in construction.

But, in truth, the work has been moving at a snail’s pace due to a prolonged dispute between the locals and the construction company over the use of timber. Villagers have complained that more than 500 pine trees within Api Nampa Conservation Area have been chopped down illegally on pretext of constructing the base.

Chief Conservation Officer Ganesh Poudel of Api Nampa alleges the construction company of exploiting the forest in connivance with some unscrupulous locals without prior permission from the authorities.
Although an investigation has been launched to evaluate the supposed felling of trees, the construction company maintains that it has indeed secured permission from the government.
On July 2, the conservation area sent a formal letter to the construction company requesting them to disclose the source of timber being used for the buildings.
The contractor company, on the other hand, claims to have borrowed timber from three villagers of Chhangru.

Following the release of Nepal’s new map encompassing Kalapani, Lipulek and Limpiyadhura, the government has deployed APF to patrol the border areas throughout the year.
However, due to the timber controversy, the construction is in limbo and the police base is currently housed in a rented building.