Border Shut, Flights Diverted & Trade Halted: UP On Alert As Nepal Riots Reach India's Doorstep

Last Updated:September 10, 2025, 13:30 IST

From Bahraich to Lakhimpur Kheri, Sashastra Seema Bal and state police have sealed crossings, blocked civilian movement, and launched night-long patrols

Security personnel in Bahraich stop people during a demonstration in the wake of violent protests that erupted in Nepal's Kathmandu. (PTI)

Tension has gripped Uttar Pradesh’s districts along the 600-km India-Nepal border as violent demonstrations and protests swept the neighbouring country. From Bahraich to Lakhimpur Kheri, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and state police sealed crossings, blocked civilian movement, and launched night-long patrols after mobs across the border set government buildings ablaze, attacked leaders, and stormed jails.

The escalation, which saw the residence of former Nepalese prime minister Jhalanath Khanal being torched, political offices vandalised, and hundreds of prisoners freed in Dhangadhi, has forced India to harden its stance. Borders have been sealed, which has left 200 trucks stranded in Bahraich, while buses to Sonouli have been cut down by half. Kathmandu-bound flights have also been diverted to other UP airports, leaving the seven frontier districts of Uttar Pradesh on high alert.

Borders Sealed, Security Tightened

The India-Nepal border has historically been open, enabling visa-free travel and flourishing trade. But since Tuesday evening, that normalcy has snapped. In Bahraich’s Rupaidha and Lakhimpur Kheri’s Gaurifanta, check-posts were barricaded and gates locked. Only Nepalese citizens with valid documents were allowed back, while Indian citizens were told to halt their travel plans.

“Given the tense situation across the border, entry protocols have been tightened. Indians cannot cross into Nepal at present," said an SSB officer posted in Bahraich.

Maharajganj’s Sonouli, one of the busiest India-Nepal gateways, also came under complete restrictions. The 66th Battalion of SSB deployed additional personnel and disallowed all civilian traffic into Nepal. Indian returnees were screened thoroughly before being let through.

Flashpoints Close to Indian Soil

The unrest has spilled dangerously close to Indian territory. In Bahraich, protesters attacked the Jamunaha check-post, barely 50 metres from the Indian side, forcing forces here to double barricades. In Maharajganj’s Belahiya, rioters set fire to the customs office and looted stores. In Siddharthnagar, agitators broke police barricades, compelling Indian agencies to erect roadblocks and launch stricter checks on their side.

In Lakhimpur Kheri, residents of border villages reported hearing sirens and gunshots across the frontier late at night as Nepalese security forces tried to disperse mobs.

Trade and Transport Disrupted

The violence has left border trade paralysed. In Bahraich alone, nearly 200 trucks carrying petroleum products, LPG cylinders, cement, and food grains were stranded. Only a few essential supply tankers were escorted into Nepal under army protection.

For local traders in Siddharthnagar and Maharajganj, the situation has been devastating. “Nepalese buyers are our main customers. Till Sunday, we had dozens every day. Now, not a single one," said Ashok Gupta, who runs a grocery store in Nautanwa.

Passenger transport has also been hit. Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) said its Gorakhpur division reported a 50 per cent reduction in bus services to the Sonouli border.

Flights Diverted to UP

Air travel, too, has been disrupted. On Tuesday, at least four Kathmandu-bound flights were diverted to Lucknow’s Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport due to disturbances at Tribhuvan Airport. Another flight from Abu Dhabi, carrying 144 passengers, was rerouted to Varanasi.

By evening, Lucknow’s runway was lined with aircraft from Delhi, Dubai, and Bangkok meant for Kathmandu. Authorities scrambled to arrange accommodation and onward travel for passengers.

Everyday Lives Affected

The border shutdown has even disrupted weddings and family functions. In Maharajganj, Shahnavaz, a groom from Bhairahawa, was allowed into India for his wedding in Nautanwa only after showing multiple IDs and written approvals. His was one of the rare exceptions as most cross-border civilian movement stood blocked.

In Bahraich, villagers who cross daily for small errands like buying groceries or visiting relatives were left stranded. “Our lives are deeply connected with Nepal. A day without crossing feels like being cut off from family," said Sita Devi, a resident of Rupaidiha.

Amid the turmoil, religious leaders in India appealed for calm. Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati described Nepal as an “inseparable part of India’s cultural and spiritual family" and urged protesters to choose dialogue over violence.

Meanwhile, UP’s home department maintained that securing the frontier was its priority. “We are monitoring all seven border districts round the clock. Extra forces have been deployed, and drone surveillance is under consideration," a senior official said.

The India-Nepal border, long a symbol of cultural exchange and economic interdependence, now resembles a hardened frontier. Watchtowers in Bahraich and Maharajganj are manned round-the-clock, police patrols scan villages, and security agencies are under orders to prevent any infiltration.

For now, Uttar Pradesh’s border belt remains on high alert, its peace hostage to the political storm raging across Nepal. Until calm is restored there, tension will continue to shadow the lives of people on both sides of the frontier.

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