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India goes it alone in Koshi
- Puts Sunsari villages at flood risk
KATHMANDU, MAY 31 -
India has completed the construction of a controversial pilot channel to change the course of the Koshi River without the consent of Nepal.
The one-sided construction has put a dozen Nepali villages at the risk of flooding during monsoon. A government report prepared by a high-level technical team, conducting the site visit, says that the channelling of Koshi waters through the pilot channel is complete.
According to a highly placed source at the Department of Irrigation (DoI), India built the channel starting from gate no. 28 of Koshi barrage to Gobargadha village on Nepal territory sans any agreement with Nepal.
The channel constructed from the centre of the barrage extends to about 4.5 kilometres to Gobargadha village and it is westward from Gobargadha, the report said.
According to DoI officials, the villages along Nepal-India border will be inundated during rainy season if Koshi waters flowing through the newly constructed channel form a new route.
Interestingly, during the three-month construction period, India did not inform Nepal and officials about the new channel that it is bringing into operation. Nepali officials expressed serious concern over the channel’s construction to the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu after a report brought the matter into light about a week ago.
The government had sent a letter to India, urging the latter to halt the channel’s construction that brought flood fears in Nepali villages. However, India has not responded till date, the source said.
Earlier, the Indian side had shown interest to construct a pilot channel in the Koshi during joint meetings between Nepal and India on Koshi and Gandak issues. But, Nepali officials had agreed to allow India to construct the channel after it prepares a modelling test report (to determine the degree of flood threats).
However, the Indian side completed the construction without providing the modelling test report and it only sent a one-page paper, including the map of the site, said the official.
India had proposed to construct the channel to divert the Koshi course two years ago when the river breached its embankment in April 2008. Nepal had declined the proposal at that time.
“India should have held discussions with Nepali officials before constructing the channel. They worked unilaterally,” said Shiva Kumar Sharma, DoI deputy director general.
Posted on: 2010-06-01 08:07
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