Kathmandu : Most of the Nepalese people think there is no border dispute with China. But it is surprising to know that there has been a border dispute with china for the last 42 years.
At least six border pillars have been lost since decades. Critics and experts say that the Nepal government is not willing to solve the border issue with China. However Foreign minister Pradeep Gyawali said last week that there is no border dispute with China.
But the fact about Border with China hasn’t happened since the last 15 years, government officials say. Nepal-China border has 1414 km length from east to west including 69 border pillars. Out of them pillar number 37, 38 and 62 are lost. While pillar number 57 is disputed. Pillar number 37 and 38 are located in Tom River, Gorakha district.
According to senior government official Punya Prasad Oli, there is a big problem of border issue in pillar number 57, which has been mislocated. That creates the number of hectors nepali land recognized as a chinese territory. according to Oli that pillar was lost in 1978 while mapping the border. Meanwhile, measuring the height of Mt Everest is also a disputed issue with China. As China remeasured the height of Everest, questioning on the actual height, 8848 mt, that is globally valid.
No survey
In 2006, the Nepal government had launched an observation on the border with China for the third time. Since then nothing has happened though the observation should be every 10 years. ‘There is an agreement that we have to monitor the border Every 10 years, but we have failed,’ says Ganesh Prasad Bhatta, Secretariat General of department of surveying. Bhatta accepts that the border survey is going to be delayed by the Nepal government.
According to Suresh Man shresth, former chief of Landscaping and Land Use Manager Division, Nepal has no border dispute with China, not because China intervenes in Nepal’s territory. but the fact is that there are several confusing locations where the Nepal government keeps silent. In 1976, Nepal had mapping the border with China, but 18 to 19 km of land left confused, which turned into tension. In such border areas, there was fight between Nepali farmers and Tibetan people.