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A landslide at Ikhu in Bhotekoshi Rural Municipality-2 has blocked the Kodari section of the Tatopani border road for the past 10 days, severing road links and disrupting imports from China. With the road impassable, porters are carrying goods across the landslide site to reach customs yards.

The landslide, located about two kilometers from the Miteri Bridge towards Kathmandu, has left traders struggling to transport perishable goods such as apples, mangoes, grapes, garlic, and onions, which have begun to rot. According to trader Sharada Prasad Parajuli, 28 container loads have already been carried across since Saturday, costing around Rs 130,000 per container in porter wages.

Tatopani Customs Office said the obstruction has reduced revenue collection to just 36 percent of the monthly target. Customs Officer Surya Kafle noted that repeated road blockages since May have hampered trade. Many containers loaded with goods remain stranded on the Chinese side in Kerung warehouses after floods shut down the Rasuwagadhi crossing, forcing importers to rely solely on Tatopani.

Bhotekoshi-2 Chair Kumar Shrestha said clearing the landslide is challenging due to flowing mud and the settlement above the site. Pilgrims traveling to Mansarovar are also crossing the site on foot. Sindhupalchok Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chair Buddharaj Basnet warned that if the road is not reopened soon, goods imported for the Dashain and Tihar festivals will not reach markets on time, leading to shortages and higher prices.

The Charikot Road Division Office is working to clear the debris using excavators, but frequent mudslides and unstable terrain continue to block the road. Over 30 houses in Kodari village remain at risk from the same landslide. Local authorities had earlier submitted a memorandum to Physical Infrastructure and Transport Minister Devendra Dahal, seeking urgent intervention, but no concrete measures have yet been taken to control the slide or open an alternative route.

After years of crop losses due to rampaging monkeys, farmers in Sindhupalchowk have found an unlikely savior: coffee. Once hesitant to embrace alternative farming, many have now turned to coffee cultivation as both a practical solution to human-wildlife conflict and a long-term economic opportunity.

The district’s hilly terrain, ideal altitude, and frost-free conditions make it well-suited for coffee farming. “We were tired of watching our crops being destroyed,” said Mandu Thapa, President of the Sindhu Coffee Cooperative Association. “Now, coffee is not only saving our livelihoods—it’s putting Sindhupalchowk on the global coffee map.”

According to the Association, over 2,150 farmers in the district are cultivating coffee on more than 124 hectares of land. In the last fiscal year alone, Sindhupalchowk produced 31 metric tons of coffee worth Rs 13.2m. Of that, 10.3 metric tons were exported to countries including Japan, South Korea, Australia, and the US under the label ‘Himalayan Organic Coffee’.

To further boost production, Chautara Sangachokgadhi Municipality-10 was recently designated under the One Ward, One Production Area Program, which promotes targeted agricultural development. Funded jointly by Bagmati Province, the municipality, and local farmers, the program has led to the planting of 27,000 Arabica, Bourbon, and Katura coffee plants.

Support has also included the distribution of organic pesticides, drying tarpaulins, and the construction of irrigation ponds. “This year, we planted coffee on 400 ropanis, and we plan to reach 600 next year,” said Thapa. Coffee begins to yield after three years and can produce for up to 70 years with proper care. Shade trees such as orange, lemon, and avocado have also been planted to support the coffee plants and diversify farm income.

Bhupendra Thapa, a local farmer and entrepreneur, has planted 10,000 coffee trees across 46 ropanis of land. “We lost so much to monkeys. Now, I see this farm not just as a business, but as a movement to prove that agriculture can thrive here,” he said.

Thapa received 3,500 seedlings from the District Coffee Cooperative Association and sourced the rest privately. His goal is to generate over Rs 10m annually and inspire youth working abroad to return and invest in agriculture.

Deputy Mayor Sita Thapa praised the shift, calling coffee farming a sustainable and strategic transformation. “This isn’t just about avoiding monkey attacks. It’s about building a long-term economy for our farmers,” she said. “We will support them through production, processing, and marketing—there will be no market uncertainty.”

She also noted a growing interest in coffee among younger generations. “They see hope in the soil of their homeland,” she said. “That’s what we need—young people turning from foreign labor to farming that works.”

With rising international demand, strong government support, and committed local leadership, Sindhupalchowk’s coffee journey is just beginning—but already, it’s brewing real change.