Kathmandu, April 19 -- For residents of the country's southern plains, crossing the 'Dashgaja'-the no-man's land separating Nepal and India-is part of daily life shaped by geography, culture and necessity. From essentials such as salt, cooking oil and medicine to higher-value goods, border communities have long relied on Indian markets for supplies, healthcare and livelihoods.

Although the border divides the two sovereign states, long-standing people-to-people ties have blurred that line in practice. Families on two sides share kinship, cultural traditions and economic interdependence. For many, crossing the border is as routine as travelling to a nearby town, and goods and people move with minimal disruption.

That long-standing pattern...