Nepal has asked India to not send old clothes for the earthquake victims, saying they do not need "leftover food" from their neighbour.
Nepali authorities forwarded the message to India after they found a few "objectionable" gunny bags among the relief materials, dispatched in the first lot, that reached the dry port at Birgunj, around 10 km from Raxaul - India's last border district in Bihar.
Confirming the event at the Birgunj port, the Indian officials said the Nepali authorities refused to accept the bags of old clothes and said that that "leftover food in plate should not be served to them".
The old clothes were spotted during a custom check at the border, before supplying the foreign aid to the needy people in quake-hit areas. The incident has been confirmed by the authorities of both the countries, Hindustan Times reported.
"I removed the consignment of old clothes and junked it at our port," chief executive officer of the Himalayan Terminals Private Limited's (HTPL) B Mohan told the daily. HTP is Indo-Nepal joint-venture organization that keeps a track of the terminal operation at Birgunj.
After the natural disaster struck the Himalayan nation on 25 April, India extended full assistance to its neighbour by sending troops to help Nepal with rescue operations. India has also sent tonnes of relief supplies for those left stranded in the open, without food, water, and clothes.
Not only did the government extend full support to the quake-hit nation, several non-profit organizations also chipped in with relief operations, sending clothes, food, money, and other necessities through funding and donations.
