Bhairahawa, April 24 -- Sunauli market on the Indian side of the Bhairahawa border has turned unusually quiet after Nepal stepped up customs checks at the Bhairahawa entry point, sharply reducing the number of Nepali shoppers crossing over for daily essentials.

Consumers in Bhairahawa and surrounding areas have complained that prices of essential household goods have risen following the tightening of border controls. Retail activity in Sunauli, once bustling with Nepali buyers from nearby districts as well as distant areas, has slowed significantly in recent days.

Harihar Paudel, chief of the Bhairahawa Customs Office, said the tighter checks were aimed at discouraging the practice of bringing in large quantities of goods without paying...