Five new dry ports are being planned in the northern border points by the government. The Nepal Intermodal Transport Development Board (NITDB) has initiated a study to develop new dry ports in five locations along the Nepal-China border. Currently, there is only one dry port in operation along the China border i.e., Tatopani Dry Port while another one in Rasuwagadhi is under construction. The Rasuwagadhi dry port is a gift from the Chinese government. Once the construction is completed, it will have space for 350 container trucks, a warehouse, a parking lot, a customs building, and a quarantine facility. The NITDB, the government agency which manages the inland clearance depots, has begun the study to develop dry ports in Nechung (Mustang), Olangchung Gola (Taplejung), Yari (Humla), Kimathanka (Sankhuwasabha) and Tinje Dho (Dolpa).

Of them, the feasibility study of the Nechung dry port has been completed. The NITDB Executive Director Ashish Gajurel said that the detailed project report (DPR) of the Nechung is currently being prepared.

Similarly, pre-feasibility studies of Olangchung Gola and Yari dry ports have been completed. However, the DPR has not been carried forward as the road has not reached reach there. The board has recently selected a consultant for conducting the pre-feasibility study of the Kimathanka and Tinje Dho dry ports. The NITDB engineer Shobhakant Raut said that the study will be completed in the current fiscal year. According to Gajurel, the construction of these dry ports will ease foreign trade with China. "As there are not enough dry ports in the northern border, the bilateral trade with China has not grown as expected. That is why, we have advanced the plan to make more dry ports," he said. Currently, the Rasuwagadhi and Tatopani are the two border crossings for the overland route open for trade between Nepal and China. However, not all of these projects will not be built immediately. According to NITDB, a pre-feasibility study has shown that the dry port will be feasible only after the construction of the North-South corridor roads (Koshi, Kaligandaki, and Karnali) are built. But the study has shown the necessity of dry ports in these locations. However, the all-weather road has not reached the places where the proposed dry ports are being planned. "As of now, we have done a feasibility study as a preliminary preparation. The construction will proceed only after the road reaches there," said Raut. Two dry ports on the southern border The board has also started the process of developing dry ports at two locations on the southern border at Jaleshwor (Mahottari) and Dodhara-Chadni (Mahendranagar). The pre-feasibility study of Jaleshwar dry port has been completed. The Dodhra-Chandni dry port is being studied by the Indian government. Currently, four dry ports are in operation at Bhairahawa, Birgunj, Biratnagar, and Kakadbhitta along the Nepal-India border. And, one more dry port is being constructed in Nepalgunj with a grant of Rs 3.20 billion from the Indian government. The dry port is being built in Nepalgunj since it is the fifth largest trading point of Nepal and is closer to the Indian capital New Delhi, which would make imports by Nepal easier.