Bhairahawa, April 18:   The Belahiya checkpoint in Rupandehi district is unusually calm these days as cross-border people's movements have come to a complete halt due to lockdown against the COVID-19.    

This is the point from where the highest numbers of foreign tourists enter Nepal on foot. The Belahiya-based immigration office has remained closed for the past 25 days following the stay-at-home order.    

The office is based in Siddharthanagar municipality-1 and with the closure of the checkpoint, daily wage earners whose livelihood was dependent on border-based activities are out of work. The office employees are also in leisure these days.    

One Shreechan Gupta, the operator of Belahiya-based Gujarati Samaj SAARC Tour and Travels P. Ltd said he and the people associated with the business were left without work. '

'I am aware of the responsibility to help my employees during this crisis but the situation is challenging,'' he added.    

Similarly, proprietor of Mailawar-based Angel Holiday Travels and Tour in Lumbini, Prakash Bhattarai, faces the situation to that of Gupta.

As he said, local tourist guides who used to earn a livelihood by guiding tourists to Lumbini and other local religious sites are free these days.

Their source of income has stopped.    

Over 500 people work in 103 travel companies in Rupandehi.