Port Overview 

Nepal is a land-locked country and relies on the Kolkata Port in India to handle practically all of its imports by sea. Birgunj dry port is the only Rail based ICD at Sirsiya, in Madhesh Province is one of five dry ports (referred to by the Nepal Intermodal Transport Development Board (NITDB) as Inland Clearance Depots, ICDs) currently active in the country.  An addition at the Birgunj ICD is the Birgunj Integrated Check Post (ICP) to facilitate customs clearance activities. The purpose of the ICP is to integrate efficient customs clearance processes at the authorized border crossing points to facilitate the clearance of cargo and people in support of trade between Nepal and India. The ICD and ICP facilities are located next to each other at the border. The facilities are awarded by the Nepal Intermodal Transport Development Board to Pristine Valley Dryport Pvt. Ltd for the ICD Birgunj, Sirsiya on 8th July 2021, and TRS Himalayan Logipark (P) Ltd for ICP Birgunj terminal clearance purposes on 1st April 2023. NITDB: http://nitdb.gov.np/en/ 

 

The top three land border crossings in Nepal in terms of import and export value are (1) Birgunj (Madhesh Province): 32.82% of import share (2) Bhairahawa (Lumbini Province): 15.19% of import share (3) Biratnagar (Koshi Province): 11.57% of import share value during Mid-July 2022-Mid-July 2023. (Ref: https://www.customs.gov.np) 

Birgunj Inland Container Depot (ICD) at Sirsiya 

The Inland Clearance Depot (ICD) at Sirsiya, Birgunj is the first terminal in Nepal linked by rail to India and designed to handle the transportation and transshipment of goods between seaports and inland destinations of Nepal. NITDB awarded Pristine Valley Dryport Pvt. Ltd. the contract to operate and manage the Inland Clearance Depot in Sirsiya. It facilitates the direct movement of containers and break-bulk cargo from Kolkata port and other places in India. The ICD has six full-rake railway sidings. It handles more than 20,000 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit) annually. It can store up to 1,568 TEU. It has been constructed on 38 ha (94 acres) land.  

 

Port Website: Birgunj ICD 

Key port information may also be found at http://www.maritime-database.com 

Port Location and Contact
Country	Nepal
Province or District	Madhesh Province
Nearest Town or City  with Distance from Port	TOWN NAME: Birgunj  DISTANCE (km): 8 KM
Port's Complete Name	Sirsiya Inland Container Depot
Latitude	27.02421
Longitude	84.85377
Managing Company or Port Authority	Pristine Valley Dryport Pvt. Ltd. for ICD    Nepal Intermodal Transport Development Board
Management Contact Person	Tanka Raj Joshi, 9845886544
Nearest Airport and Airlines with Frequent International Arrivals/Departures	AIRPORT NAME: Simara Airport 23.4 KM

 

Port Picture 

Pic: Ariel view of Birgunj ICD

 

Description and Contacts of Key Companies 

1. Container Corporation of India Ltd. (CONCOR) is an Indian public sector company currently engaged in India in the business of providing terminal services and facilities for handling and transportation of containerized cargo by rail, road and coastal shipping, and intermodal logistics services for aggregation and distribution of cargo.  

(2) Valley Groups as Nepalese Partner Company. 
(3) Rivro Logistics Pvt. Ltd. is in the business of transit cargo and warehouse management at the Kolkata and Haldia port in India and in Raxaul, Birgunj, and Kakervitta in Nepal, it also provides clearing and forwarding services to public sector undertakings in Nepal for exports from and imports into Nepal. 

For more information on port contacts, please see the following link: HQ staff will input a link to section 4.4 Port and Waterways Companies Contact List here. 

Port Performance 

During June through August, when it is the monsoon season, the dry port is less busy. During festival season (Dashain, Tihar, Chhath in October/November) the dry port is very busy. From December through February, when it is the winter season, the dry port is most busy, because companies start restocking goods after the monsoon season and stockpiling goods for the winter season. The dry port can be congested during these months. 

 

Seasonal Constraints
	Occurs	Time Frame
Rainy Season	Yes	From June to August
Major Import Campaigns	Yes	Festival season in October/November
Other Comments	N/A

 

Handling Figures for 2022
Vessel Calls*	N/A
Container Traffic (TEUs)	55504 Imports  1200 Export

*Number of Trains: 641 (in 2022 A.D.) 

Handling Figures Bulk and Break Bulk for 2022
Bulk (MT)	520257
Breakbulk (MT)	232198

 

Discharge Rates and Terminal Handling Charges.  

Following is the tariff charged by the Terminal handling company:  

Pristine Valley Dry Port Pvt. Ltd.
Inland Clearance Depot, ICD Birgunj, Sirsiya Dryport, Parsa, Nepal PAN: 609754971
ICD Address: Sirsiya Dryport, ICD Birgunj, Parsa, Nepal  Contact Details: Mr. Vikas Sharma (+977-98015-66050), Mr. Aditya Roy (+977-98011-29979)
Terminal Tariff with effect from 07-Aug-2020 and remain valid till further notification
Description of Activities	Amount in (NPR)
	20'	40'
IMPORT - Terminal Handling Charges
Factory Destuffing	7,054.30	9,716.30
ICD Destuffing	9,111.30	12,136.30
Warehouse Delivery	9,111.30	12,136.30
EXPORT - Terminal Handling Charges
Factory Stuffing	7,054.30	9,716.30
ICD Stuffing	9,111.30	11,033.00
Warehouse Delivery	9,111.30	11,033.00
Import warehouse charges	Per day Per MT
1 to 3 days	Free
4th to 10th day	93.17
11th to 30th day	119.79
31st day onwards	186.34
Export warehouse charges	Per day Per MT
1 to 3 days	Free
4th to 10th day	53.24
11th to 30th day	66.55
31st day onwards	93.17
Open Yard Charges - Container	Per day Per MT
1st day (Date of unloading)	Free
2nd to 7th day	53.24
8th day onwards	79.86
Container Parking Charges (Loaded/Empty)	Per day Per Container
1st day (Date of unloading)	Free	Free
2nd to 7th day	219.62	292.82
8th day onwards	292.82	439.23
Vehicle Parking Charges	Per day Per Vehicle
1st day (Date of entry)	Free	Free
2nd to 7th day	219.62	219.62
8th day onwards	292.82	292.82
Vehicle Entry fee
Commercial Vehicle (Weight <10 MT)	146.41
Commercial Vehicle (Weight >10 MT)	292.82
Light Vehicle (Weight <5 MT)	73.21
Rikshaw/Hand Trolley	22.63
Miscellaneous Charges
Labour Loading Charges	2057.00        2420.00
Bagging Charges (Per MT)	220.00
Survey Charges per container	1210.00
Description of Activity	Amount in (NPR)
	20'	40'
CHARGES FOR INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITIES
Handling of Loaded Container (Complete Cycle)	3,993.00	5,390.55
Handling of Empty Container (Complete Cycle)	865.15	1,331.00
Weighment charges	146.41	146.41
Transfer of loaded container for survey and other purposes (one time operation)	1,331.00	1,663.75
Transfer of empty container for survey and other purposes (one time operation)	865.15	1,331.00
Handling of LCL cargo including loading/unloading & stuffing/destuffing (Per MT)	332.75
Terminal Handling Charges - Bagged, Break Bulk, Bulk Cargo & Loose Cargo
Bagged Cargo/Break Bulk Cargo (Per MT)	271.04
Bulk Cargo & Loose Cargo (Per MT)	399.30
Storage Charges - Bagged and Break Bulk Cargo	Per day per MT
1 to 3 days	Free
4th to 10th day	93.17
11th to 30th day	119.79
31st day onwards	186.34
Open Yard Charges - Bulk & Loose Cargo	Per day per MT
1st day (Date of unloading)	Free
2nd to 7th day	53.24
8th day onwards	79.86
Railway Freight
Railway freight to ICD Birgunj from International Border Railway Freight from ICD Birgunj to International Border	532.40	798.60
Railway freight to ICD Birgunj from the International Border (Bagged & Break Bulk	532.40	798.60
Railway freight to ICD Birgunj from International Border (Bagged & Break Bulk Cargo per MT) Railway	20.57
Freight from ICD Birgunj to International Border (Bagged & Break Bulk Cargo per MT)	20.57
Railway freight to ICD Birgunj from International Border (Bulk & Loose Cargo per MT)	15.73
Railway Freight from ICD Birgunj to International Border (Bulk & Loose Cargo per MT)	15.73
Additional Terms:
Hazardous cargo : Rates shall be charged double for hazardous cargo
Over Dimensional Container : 25% extra shall be charged over the normal charges
Cancellation after nomination : Survey Charges of NPR 1,210.00 shall be charged along with Parking & Handling Charges Detention / Stabling Charges levied by Indian Railways on BCN/BRN rakes at Raxaul station shall be on customer account.
Transportation shall be on party account, the customer shall make arrangement for trucks/trailers for taking delivery of the cargo on their own.
It is proposed that on arrival of Bulk & Loose Cargo (BRN rakes), customers shall arrange at least 14 vehicles in advance for taking direct delivery of cargo, otherwise shifting of cargo will be undertaken and charged at the rate of NPR 279.51 per metric ton.
Advance consent of Pristine Valley to be taken for planning a rake into ICD Birgunj for smooth operation and avoid detention. Pristine Valley will not be responsible for any demurrage on BRN rakes carrying Bulk & Loose Cargo, arriving without proper dunnage.
Any Railway Detention accrued on Break Bulk & Bagged Cargo in BCN Rakes for reason beyond the control of Pristine Valley shall be on party's account.
In case the rake is placed on non-working line (stabling line) then any detention/stabling accrued, will be on party account.
It is to be mentioned that iron and steel cargo are to be booked by party on flat wagons only. BOST & other BOXN wagons may be avoided. All Charges to be deposited before taking delivery of cargo/container.
Railway Detention/Stabing Charges are to be paid in INR DD.
Cheque/DD should be in favour of Pristine Valley Dryport Private Limited payable at Birgunj only.
Bank details: Everest Bank Limited, Dryport Branch, Account No. 01500105200331
Note: VAT shall be charged extra as applicable

 

Port Handling Equipment 

Port equipment is managed by Pristine Valley Dry port Pvt. Ltd. 

Equipment	Available	Total Quantity and Capacity Available	Comments on Current Condition and Actual Usage
Dockside Crane	No	N/A	N/A
Container Gantries	No	N/A	N/A
Mobile Cranes	Yes	8, 60 mt	Operational and is used for Iron and steel handling
Reach stacker	Yes	3, each of 45 mt capacity  1 of 7 mt capacity for empty containers	Operational and is used for container handling
RoRo Tugmaster (with Trailer)	No
Grain Elevator with Bagging Machines	No
Transtainer	No
Forklifts	Yes	2, 3 mt each	Operational

 

Container Facilities 

With the increase in trade activities every year and without the improvement in existing infrastructure, congestion in the Dry port is an issue. Lack of proper warehousing capacity also is a contributing factor as importers can be late to clear their cargo on time. Importers would rather pay charges for extra days in the dry port facilities than remove their cargo to find themselves without sufficient warehouse space once they collect the cargo. The container holding capacity of the dry port is 1568 containers. 

 

Facilities	20 ft	40 ft
Container Facilities Available	1 Container ice Cargo	1 for bagged Cargo
Container Freight Station (CFS)	No but planned to have 3 refrigerated CFS
Refrigerated Container Stations	No
Other Capacity Details	N/A
Daily Take Off Capacity   (Containers per Day)	3-4 Racks in day
Number of Reefer Stations   (Connection Points)	2 plug in for dual service
Emergency Take-off Capacity	5 fire hydrants around CFS
Off take Capacity of Gang Shift   (Containers per Shift)	N/A

 

Customs Guidance 

ASYCUDA system is used for the customs clearance process. The system generates green, red, or yellow signals. Once the declaration documents are uploaded into the system, a registration number is generated and the verification of documents is done by the inspectors in the port, and the tax and duties are determined. Following the payment of the duties and taxes payable, the final verifier selects the container and marks green/blue and red /yellow. If the containers get green/blue, then it is released. If the containers get red/yellow, it is thoroughly checked. If there is no discrepancy, the goods are released. If any discrepancies are found, additional duties are paid and then the goods are released. Once the examination is completed, it is copied to the Risk Management Unit. It is recommended to use a reputable clearing agent. The clearing of goods takes 2 to 3 business days. 

For more information on customs in Nepal, please see the following link: 1.3 Customs Information.   

 

Terminal Information 

MAIN STORAGE TERMINAL 

ICD has two warehouses (1. Container Freight Station Shed and 2. Good Shed) of size 7,000 sqm and 10,000 sqm. The Good Shed is divided into a walled section of 300m in length and a section with a roof without walls of 400m (as shown below in the pictures). NITBD has completed upgrading rail-based ICD; broad gauge railway yard with 6 full-length lines; boundary wall of 3.15 km. long and 3.6m. and has come into operation with storage and handling facilities to handle bulk cargo.  

 

Main Features of Rail-based ICD: 

ICD Birgunj is a rail-linked terminal, 450 m from the Indian border with the facility to handle all types of traffic including containers, bulk, bagged, break bulk, loose cargo, etc. This terminal covers an area of 38 hectares with the following facilities; 

1. Railway tracks: 6 full-length railway lines. 

2. Covered Good shed: 450 m x 26.5 m. 

3. Open Shed/Platform) in addition to covered shed: 300 m x 26.5 m. 

4. Container Yard (CY): 685 m x 64 m with 1568 TEU ground slots. 

5. Reach Stakers” 3 x 45 Ton + 1 x 7 Ton capacity. 

6. Mineral siding: Loose cargo handling facilities. 

7. Truck Parking: More than 200 trucks and 50 trailers. 

8. High mast lights with generator backup. Electric substation of 630 KVA, 11/0.4 KVA with one 380 KVA D. G. SET; Administrative block of 1130 sq. m. floor area. 

9. Administrative block of 1130 sq. m. floor area. 

10. Fire detection and alarm system. 

11. Cement concrete paved area for parking of 250 freight vehicles and 30 big-size trailers. 

 

 

 

Cement concrete paved area for parking of 250 freight vehicles and 30 big-size trailers. 

 

 

Walled Good Shed of approx. 300 m in length. 

 

 

Unwalled Good Shed of 400 m in length. 

 

CFS SHED building and area. 

 

CFS SHED building and area. 

 

Port Security 

The port is surrounded by a concrete wall. A CCTV monitoring system and security guards are placed in strategic areas to provide surveillance 24/7. Security is provided by Nepal Armed Police Forces of Nepal Government. 

Security
ISPS Compliant	No
Current ISPS Level   (Level 1 = Normal, Level 2 = Heightened, Level 3 = Exceptional)	N/A
Police Boats	N/A
Fire Engines	N/A

 

Birgunj Integrated Check Post (ICP) 

An addition at the Birgunj ICD is the Integrated Check Post (ICP) to facilitate the customs clearance activities. The ICP Birgunj was inaugurated on 7th of April 2018. As per the legal provision, TRS Himalayan Logipark Pvt Ltd has been awarded for ICP Birgunj terminal clearance purpose on 1st April 2023. Birgunj ICP is currently handling 70 percent of the commerce that used to pass through the Birgunj customs points.  

Port website: Bigunj Customs Office 

Key port information may also be found at http://www.maritime-database.com 

Port Location and Contact
Country	Nepal
Province or District	Madhesh / Parsa
Nearest Town or City  with Distance from Port	TOWN NAME: Birgunj  DISTANCE (km): 8 KM
Port's Complete Name	Birgunj Integrated Check Post
Latitude	27.016721
Longitude	84.842556
Managing Company or Port Authority	TRS Himalayan Logipark (P) Ltd.  ICP, Birgunj
Management Contact Person	Ganesh Prasad Ghimire (Chief Maneger)  9852032047  Subhash Subedi (General Manager)  9855036917
Nearest Airport and Airlines with Frequent International Arrivals/Departures	AIRPORT NAME: Simara Airport 23.4 KM

Port Picture 

 

Description and Contacts of Key Companies 

SN	Agencies related to Operation of ICP	Name
1	Multimodal Transport Operators	N/A
2	Transport Management Company	Trans Himalayana Logipark Pvt. Ltd
3	Customs	Birgunj Customs Office
4	Freight Forwarders	Upyogi Freight Logistics Pvt. Ltd. , Radhe Radhe Clearing and Forwarding, Flash Freight logistics, Oceanstar Logistics,
5	Banks	Everest Bank For Customs clearance and Nabil Bank for Terminal Clearance
6	Quarantine	Food, Animal and Plant with laboratory facility
7	Shipping lines	N/A
8	Customs Agent	Trimurti Clearing Sewa, Laxmi Clearance Agent, Adit Clearance Agent, Aani Clearance Agency, Aashirbad Clearance Agent ete.

 

For more information on port contacts, please see the following link: 4.4 Port and Waterways Companies Contact List. 

 

Port Performance 

Customs clearance certificates are usually issued to cargo only after 6 pm from the Birgunj Customs office. The cargo truck that enters ICP in the daytime has to hold until 6 pm to exit the customs office premises. This leads to congestion at the gate and ICP premises throughout the day. Also, importers who do not have their warehouses outside of the ICP premises tend to delay the customs clearance procedures to tranship their cargo from truck to truck without having to store their goods in a warehouse and pay additional charges (warehouse charges are applicable if stored in ICP warehouse). Therefore, the parking bay is full most of the time. The exit road is also congested due to trucks standing in queue for the whole day until 6 pm. These are the factors causing congestion at the ICP. 

 

Seasonal Constraints
	Occurs	Time Frame
Rainy Season	Yes	From June to August
Major Import Campaigns	Yes / No	Months of Festivities October/November
Other Comments	ICP is functioning at full capacity with the facility of 6 6-lane road.

 

Handling Figures for 2022
Vessel Calls	N/A
No of Vehicles Traffic (TEUs)	135063 Imports  10140 Exports

 

Handling Figures Bulk and Break Bulk for 2022
Bulk (MT)	21998
Break bulk (MT)	N/A

 

 

Discharge Rates and Terminal Handling Charges 

For information on port rates and charges, please see the following link: Fee-Dar-rate-for-ICP-Birgunj-2.pdf (nitdb.gov.np). 

Port Handling Equipment 

The port equipment is managed by the TRS Himalayan Logipark (P) Ltd. 

Equipment	Available	Total Quantity and Capacity Available	Comments on Current Condition and Actual Usage
Dockside Crane	No
Container Gantries	No
Mobile Cranes	Yes
Reach stacker	Yes
RoRo Tugmaster (with Trailer)	No
Grain Elevator with Bagging Machines	No
Transtainer	No
Hydra	Yes	2	Operational
Forklifts	Yes	1 with 3 mt	Operational

 

Customs Guidance 

ASYCUDA system is used for the customs clearance process. The clearing of goods takes 2 to 3 business days. 

 

Terminal Information 

MAIN STORAGE TERMINAL 

1. Warehouse with refrigeration facility (import side) - approx. 1374 m 2 

2. Warehouse (export side) – approx..692 m 2 

3. Inspection shed (import side) – approx. 402 m 2 

4. Inspection side (export side) – approx. 234 m 2 

5. Confiscated shed (import and export side) – approx. 100 m 2 

6. Animal sheds (import side) – approx. 100 m 2 

7. Processing sheds – total 6 no with approx. 1250 m 2  each 

8. Processing cabins: 16 No, Frisking cabins: 4 No,  

 

Port Security 

Port security is overseen by the Nepal Armed Police Force and an additional security company 24/7. The facilities covering the area of 115 acres is well barricaded. As a firefighting measure, there is a firefighting system complete with 5 pumps, water storage, supply lines, and hydrants in strategic locations within the premises.  

 

Security
ISPS Compliant	No
Current ISPS Level   (Level 1 = Normal, Level 2 = Heightened, Level 3 = Exceptional)	N/A
Police Boats	N/A
Fire Engines	N/A

 

Nos of Weighbridge- 2 with capacity of 80 MT and 100 MT.

Inspection building.

Open yard.