Thick Smoke Visible From Bridge Connecting India To Nepal Town Amid Protests, Security Tightened | Video

Last Updated:September 09, 2025, 20:39 IST

The Miteri bridge is now being secured by the Sashastra Seema Bal even as security was tightened along the Indo-Nepal border and the situation is being closely monitored

Security check underway amid protests in Nepal, at Panitanki on Indo-Nepal border near Siliguri on September 9; (right) Smoke rises from Nepal’s Kakadbhitta as seen from Panitanki. (Image: PTI/ANI)

Plumes of smoke were seen rising out of Nepal’s Kakadbhitta town, which is on the India border and connected by a bridge to West Bengal’s Panitanki, amid massive anti-government protests in the neighbouring country on Tuesday.

The thick smoke was clearly visible from the Miteri bridge in Panitanki on the Indian side. The bridge is now being secured by the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) even as security was tightened along the border and the situation is being closely monitored, sources said.

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According to officials, the SSB, which guards the 1751-km unfenced international front with Nepal, has stepped up security across all its border posts and vulnerable points in the wake of the unrest. All the field commanders of the SSB have been asked to be on the ground and maintain an enhanced vigil, they said.

“Additional forces have been deployed at 22 outposts of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) along the border, while police stations in five border areas are keeping surveillance through drone cameras,” Superintendent of Police (SP) Vikas Kumar said in Balrampur.

Kumar said intelligence agencies have been instructed to maintain strict monitoring and all personnel have been directed to remain on high alert. Police teams and SSB jawans are conducting joint patrols, while ‘Operation Kavach’ committees in the region have been asked to stay active and keep a close watch on cross-border movement.

Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned on Tuesday in the face of massive anti-government protests sparked by a ban on social media with the demonstrators attacking private residences of several top politicians, including President Ramchandra Paudel, and vandalising the parliament.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, meanwhile, urged people to maintain peace in the northern districts bordering Nepal.

“We love Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. We love all the bordering countries. I also urge residents of Siliguri, Kalimpong, and other areas near the Nepal border to maintain peace and avoid activities that could create any trouble because it is not our problem. Let them bring back normalcy. We cannot interfere; this is not our matter,” Banerjee said at the Kolkata airport before leaving for an administrative tour to the northern part of the state.

Banerjee stressed that foreign policy is the domain of the central government. “We will remain well if our neighbourhood remains well. We want peace to prevail in the neighbouring country,” she said.

She advised journalists not to go to Nepal to cover the developments in the neighbouring nation. “Do not go to Nepal, risking your lives. You can cover it from Siliguri. Safety and security come first. And inform the police before going abroad,” she added.

(With PTI inputs)

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