Oct 01, Kathmandu - Floods, landslides and river erosion have cut electricity and communications along the Beni–Jomsom–Korala section of the Kaligandaki Corridor, bringing customs operations at the Nechung Customs Office in Upper Mustang to a standstill.

Since the disruption began on September 8, customs clearance, revenue payments and quarantine services have been affected. Office chief Bidur Chudal said the suspension was also disrupting revenue collection, while containers waiting in the customs yard remained unprocessed. With other crossings to China also blocked, pressure on the Korala route has increased.

Containers carrying electric vehicles and other goods from Zhongba County in China’s Tibet Autonomous Region have been stranded at the customs office since September 8. Even some cargo that has cleared customs is stuck along the damaged road. Containers entering and leaving Mustang are also stranded at border points and along the highway until road access is restored.

Imports previously routed through Rasuwa’s Rasuwagadhi crossing have increasingly been directed to Korala after flooding on the Bhotekoshi River swept away the customs office in Timure. The Korala crossing normally collects more than Rs 200 million in revenue daily, according to the report. Authorities have been urged to urgently repair the damaged power and internet infrastructure.

The number of containers arriving from Tibet, including those carrying electric vehicles, is growing daily, said Ghar Chung Gurung, vice-chair of the Korala Border Container Management Committee. After customs clearance, goods are transported from the office—about 14 kilometres below the 4,650-metre-high border—along the 186-kilometre Korala–Jomsom–Beni route toward Pokhara.

The disruption is also affecting businesses preparing for the festival season, said Subin Shrestha, a central member of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

Floods and landslides have damaged 46 locations along the Maldhunga–Beni–Jomsom–Korala road. While sections through Parbat and Mustang are open, damage remains severe on the Myagdi stretch. Of 19 affected locations there, bridges and paved road sections have been washed away; repairs are expected to take more than a week.