Amid escalating unrest in Nepal, India’s border districts in Uttar Pradesh have been placed on high alert as authorities grapple with rising concerns over cross-border infiltration, lawlessness, and humanitarian distress.
The ongoing protests led by Nepal’s Gen Z youth, triggered by restrictions imposed by the Oli government on social media platforms such as Facebook and YouTube, have worsened the situation, leading to chaos, violence, and heightened security challenges along the Indo-Nepal border.
Inspector General of Police Amit Pathak of the Devipatan division, which covers the districts of Bahraich, Shravasti, and Balrampur, stated here on Wednesday that, “The unrest in Nepal has raised the risk of infiltration through our porous border areas. The total open border stretches across these districts, amounting to 243 kilometers, including the challenging terrain of the Sohilwa Wildlife Sanctuary that covers 452 square kilometers. These routes, including traditional and non-traditional paths, can easily be exploited by criminal networks.”
He added that key roadways such as the Balrampur–Badhni and Balrampur–Koyalabasa highways, passing through five police jurisdictions, run parallel to the border and are vulnerable to misuse.
Inspector General Pathak warned, “Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI could exploit familial and cultural ties, using cross-border relationships to smuggle anti-national elements into India. We are fully prepared to counter such threats through intensified combing, patrolling, and intelligence operations.”
He confirmed that all individuals crossing the border are subjected to strict verification procedures and that special teams are screening women and suspicious travelers at railway stations and other entry points.
Moreover, external visitors staying in dharamshalas, mosques, hotels, madrasas, and shelters within a 15-kilometer radius are being thoroughly vetted, and sources of income of newly wealthy families in border areas are under scrutiny by the Income Tax Department.
Tourists and traders stranded due to the unrest have been seeking urgent repatriation, with over 5,000 Indians trapped in Nepalese territories, such as customs parking areas. Truck drivers have been seen appealing for return passes, while border towns like Rupaidha, Badhni, Sanouli, Pilibhit, and Tikunia are bearing the brunt of economic stagnation.
Responding to the deteriorating circumstances, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has instructed the state police to maintain heightened vigilance in all border districts adjoining Nepal.
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