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After a massive landslide struck Tatopani—the northern border point between Nepal and China—imports of Dashain goods from China have come to a halt. The Araniko Highway, blocked by a landslide in Bhotekoshi Rural Municipality-2’s Eco-area on Aug 2, has yet to fully reopen. Rajendra Prasad Chudal, head of the Tatopani Customs Office, said efforts are underway to clear the road, but warned it is unlikely to open before Dashain due to the severity of the situation.

With the road closed, around 1,700 containers have been stranded on the Chinese side at Tatopani, leaving traders in distress. Ramhari Karki, president of the Himalayan Cross-Border Chamber of Commerce, said more than 1,000 containers remain stuck. “There is no benefit in bringing goods meant for Dashain and Tihar after Dashain,” he said, adding that the narrow 30-meter border crossing requires the highway to be cleared quickly.

Karki noted that the Chamber has urged Nepal’s Consul General in Lhasa, Laxmi Prasad Niraula, to request China to release more containers. While Khasa Customs has agreed to increase shipments, imports remain stalled on the Nepali side because of the landslide.

Tatopani Customs Information Officer Surya Kafle said the Chinese side is preparing to send up to 20 containers daily once the road reopens. “We are in regular talks with Khasa Customs. But even if 20 containers are sent daily, goods meant for Dashain will not arrive on time,” he said. Goods must reach Kathmandu at least 10 days before Dashain to reach consumers, he added.

The Kodari section of the highway, shut for three weeks, reopened briefly for four days last week but was closed again Sunday after another landslide. Since then, the route has remained blocked.

Fruit traders are particularly hard hit. Sharada Parajuli, who imports fruits from China, said containers loaded with apples, mangoes, grapes, garlic, and onions are rotting. Traders have resorted to unloading containers at the border and carrying produce across the landslide with porters. Customs officials confirmed that about 100 containers of fruits have been transported this way, but they described it as a temporary and unsustainable solution.

Buddharaj Basnet, president of the Sindhupalchowk Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said many containers are stuck in Lhasa, Shigatse, and Nyalam, adding to traders’ financial burdens and loan pressures. Goods that once entered through the Kerung border in Rasuwa are now funneled through Tatopani, leaving importers increasingly stressed. “Goods imported from China are stranded on the road,” said Sujit Basnet, vice president of the Nepal Himalayan Cross-Border Chamber of Commerce. “The road is open for two days and closed for 10—that’s the government’s negligence.”

Three weeks ago, a high-level team was deployed to the landslide site following the intervention of local leaders, business organizations, and federal MP Madhav Sapkota. Under the direction of Physical Infrastructure and Transport Minister Devendra Dahal, engineers have begun drilling to drain trapped water, but continuous rainfall has triggered repeated landslides. According to Engineer Suraj Maharjan of the Charikot Road Division Office, around 250 meters of road has been damaged, including 50 meters completely washed away.

Imports of electric vehicles, electronics, and clothes from China—especially in demand for Dashain and Tihar—have been severely disrupted. Many traders have traveled to China to procure clothing, but uncertainty over road access has left them worried.

Federal MP Sapkota warned that unless the Tatopani landslide is addressed immediately and sustainably, festival-season prices could surge. “This landslide is not just a local problem. It is tied to the national economy and the kitchens of ordinary people,” he said. “With the border road blocked during the festivals, shortages of food, clothes, and other essentials are inevitable, and prices will soar.”

He urged the government to seek long-term solutions, including exploring the use of Chinese grants and replicating China’s landslide management technology from the Khasa region. “Nepali traders have invested heavily in the stranded containers,” he said. “If those goods are lost, it will directly harm Nepal’s economy. The government must act swiftly through diplomatic channels.”

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.