APF patrolling in snow-capped Nara and Kit regions in Humla

By Rajan Rawat,Humla, Mar. 28: Security forces of the Armed Police Force Nepal (APF) stationed at the border outpost (BOP) in Hilsa, the border point of Nepal and China in Humla district, have been continuously conducting regular patrolling in the area covered by snow all the time.

The APF patrolling squad are fulfilling their duties despite the freezing temperature in the area. 

Pramod Bista, Armed Police Inspector of the Border Outpost, said that despite the blanketed snow, the monitoring of the border point and border posts was being done on a daily basis. 

Inspector Bista said that the patrolling team sometimes go to the Kit area, situated to Namkha of Nepal and Xie'erwa and Lambaj of the two countries, to monitor the border pillars and sometimes they go on a patrol towards Nara Lake for border security. 

He said that although there was less snow in the Kit area, there was a problem in patrolling Nara Lake due to the accumulation of two to three feet of snow on one kilometre stretch of road section. 

Inspector Bista said that it was easier for the security personnel to patrol in December, but it was problematic after mid-February because of heavy snowfall.  

He said that snowfall in recent times has added challenges to conducting regular patrolling in the area. 

"We are, however, regularly doing our duty," Inspector Bista said.  

Since the road from Hilsa to Nara Lake is not open, the Armed Police Force has mobilised eight to 10 personnel to patrol the area. 

Currently, 22  Armed Police Force personnel are deployed in the BOP.