If both India and China are lukewarm about a transit through Nepal ('Traversing the middle kingdom', #265) I don't see why Nepal is so enthusiastic about it. Besides, as Pragya Shrestha argues in her excellent investigation, even if it is feasible Nepal is really not going to benefit from having all these smoke belching trucks going from the plains to the plateau. And now they're talking about an electric train from Birganj to Kodari. Dream on.

Before chasing this pie in the sky, how about building an east-west railroad within Nepal? How about using our hydropower for transportation, and how about maintaining our existing highways properly?

Dinesh Aryal,
Babar Mahal