Lockdown: 3 swim across Mahakali river to enter Nepal from India, arrested

PTI, Mar 31, 2020, 3:32 PM IST

Kathmandu:  Three Nepalese citizens have been arrested after they swam across the Mahakali river to enter Nepal from India in their desperate attempt to reach home as the two nations remain under lockdown to limit the spread of coronavirus pandemic.

The three men, along with 500 Nepalese, had been stranded in Dharchula in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand, for four days.

“We swam across the river to request the Chief District Administrator to open the gate to the suspension bridge,” according to one of the three men, who were arrested on Monday.

On Friday night, Nepali authorities rescued 225 Nepalis from Dharchula by opening a suspension bridge that connects India to Nepal.

Most of the stranded Nepalese nationals are daily wagers in India. On Sunday evening, they chanted slogans against the Nepal government, demanding that the gate of the bridge be opened.

Nepal’s Cabinet on Sunday decided to allow all Nepalis stranded on the Nepal-India border to enter the country on the condition that they remain in quarantine for 14 days.

The Nepal government extended the ban on the entry of people from across the borders for another 10 days from Monday as a measure to contain the spread of coronavirus.

The ban was initially to be in force from March 23 to 29.