Phulbari also known as ''Fulbari'' is a road

border crossing Border control comprises measures taken by governments to monitor and regulate the movement of people, animals, and goods across land, air, and maritime borders. While border control is typically associated with international borders, it als ...

for vehicles and people on the

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

border and a proposed

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

in Rajganj community development block in

Jalpaiguri district Jalpaiguri district () is a district of the Indian state of West Bengal. The district was established in 1869 during British Raj. The headquarters of the district are in the city of Jalpaiguri, which is also the divisional headquarters of Ja ...

in the

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

West Bengal West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...

. The Bangladesh side of the border crossing is

Banglabandha Banglabandha is a major inland port in north Bengal, northern Bangladesh established to provide a trade link with India, Nepal and Bhutan. The three nations are separated by of Indian territory, known as the Siliguri Corridor. On the Indian side ...

Geography

Area overview

The map alongside shows the

alluvial Alluvium (, ) is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. Alluvium is also sometimes called alluvial deposit. Alluvium is ...

floodplains A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river. Floodplains stretch from the banks of a river channel to the base of the enclosing valley, and experience flooding during periods of high discharge.Goudie, ...

south of the outer foothills of the

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than list of h ...

. The area is mostly flat, except for low hills in the northern portions. It is a primarily rural area with 62.01% of the population living in rural areas and a moderate 37.99% living in the urban areas. Tea gardens in the

Dooars The Dooars or Duars () are the alluvial floodplains in eastern-northeastern India and southern Bhutan that lie south of the outer foothills of the Himalayas and north of the Brahmaputra River basin. This region is about wide and stretches ov ...

and

Terai The Terai or Tarai is a lowland region in parts of southern Nepal and northern India that lies to the south of the outer foothills of the Himalayas, the Sivalik Hills and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. This lowland belt is characterised by ...

regions produce 226 million kg or over a quarter of India's total tea crop. Some tea gardens were identified in the 2011 census as

census town In India and some other countries, a census town is designated as a town that satisfies certain characteristics. India In India, a census town is one which is not statutorily notified and administered as a town, but nevertheless whose population ...

s or villages. Such places are marked in the map as CT (census town) or R (rural/ urban centre). Specific tea estate pages are marked TE. Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the subdivision. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map.

Border crossing

Border crossing of vehicles between Phulbari in

and

was inaugurated in January 2011. Earlier,

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

transit through the border started in a limited manner in 1997. Goods-laden trucks from both sides cross the border and unload the goods at warehouses in the other country. The Indian Finance Minister

Pranab Mukherjee Pranab Kumar Mukherjee ( ; born, 11 December 1935 – 31 August 2020) was an Indian statesman who served as the president of India from 2012 until 2017. He was the first person from West Bengal to hold the post of President of India. In a pol ...

and Bangladesh's Agriculture Minister

Matia Chowdhury Matia Chowdhury (; 30 June 1942 – 16 October 2024) was a Awami League leader and one of the key perpetrators of the July massacre orchestrated and executed by Sheikh Hasina's toppled regime. She died while awaiting trial for crimes against h ...

attended the inauguration ceremony. This border crossing can also be used for the movement of people between

and

. There are complaints about lack of proper facilities at the border, and condition of the road between Phulbari and India-Nepal border. India has taken steps to improve the road between Kankarbhitta, where the Nepalese check-post is located, across the

Mechi River The Mechi River is a trans-boundary river flowing through Nepal and India. It is a tributary of the Mahananda River. Course The Mechi originates in the Mahabharat Range in Nepal. It flows through Nepal, forms the boundary between India and Nepal ...

from NH 31C and Phulbari border post on State Highway 12.

References

{{Jalpaiguri District Cities and towns in Jalpaiguri district Bangladesh–India border crossings

Geography

Area overview

Border crossing

See also

References