Delhi will act promptly: Indian embassy
BY THIRA L BHUSAL & NARAYAN SHARMA
KATHMANDU / NAWALPARASI, June 20
The government has written to its Indian counterpart about the issue of inundation in over a dozen VDCs due to obstruction of flow in the Gandak Canal in Nawalparasi district.
The Indian embassy here has already forwarded a letter to the government in Delhi. "The government of Nepal submitted some measures for the improvement of the situation over there to us. We have conveyed it to the concerned authority of the Indian government a few days ago," said Gopal Baglay, spokesperson of the embassy. He also informed that the Indian government is going to take prompt action over the matter. He further said that the Gandak Canal authorities will see to fulfillment of 12 of the demands raised by protestors in bordering villages of Nawalparasi district.
Nepal's government wrote to the Indian government after the completion of a field report on the problem. Two senior divisional engineers from the Department of Irrigation (DoI) prepared the report. "We have submitted the report with our findings and recommendations to the Ministry (of Water Resources)," said Madhusudan Poudel, director-general at DoI. "We have recommended immediate, mid-term and long-term solutions," he added.
Poudel informed that the problem arose because there was no cleaning of the syphons in the canal. Nepali officials had frequently requested Indian representatives to ensure thorough and frequent cleaning of the syphons. He also stated that the syphons should be connected directly to the outlet points to ensure smooth flow of the water.
Raising a 21-point demand, locals from over a dozen VDCs in Nawalparasi district affected by inundation have been staging sit-in protests round the clock at the canal site since May 24. The locals blamed the Nepal government for failing to properly raise the issue.
However, Poudel said that the Nepal government can do nothing except to talk to its Indian counterpart as the entire responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the canal lies with the government of India.
Locals have for years been demanding the cleaning of the syphons, maintenance of the dilapidated canal, construction of a road alongside, permanent solution to the inundation problem, and renovation of dilapidated bridges over the canal, among other things. They said that they will be continuing their struggle until they receive compensation from the Indians.
Over 1,000 locals join the demonstrations each day, the locals said. Apart from threatening to demolish both banks of the canal as well as the barrage, they have threatened to stop the water flow in the canal for two months if their demands are not fulfilled. Prem Chandra Gupta, secretary of the struggle committee, vented his ire against both governments for not taking any initiative to resolve the problem.
"The Indian side needs to clean the syphons before the monsoon begins so as to protect the areas from inundation," Gupta said.
Of the 21 demands forwarded by the locals, the Gandak Project has agreed to see to the fulfillment of 12, said Baglay. "As the officials have given assurances to fulfill their 12 genuine demands, the locals should have called off their agitation," he said. However, members of the struggle committee and officials at the site claimed that they have not been informed about any initiative being taken from the Indian side.
"I have no knowledge of initiatives taken for fulfilling the 21 demands," Anand Parajuli, liaison and land acquisition officer at the site, said. Lately, the locals have added a new condition for reviewing the bilateral agreement as their demand for compensation for inundation and erosion was not fulfilled by the Indian government even after years of protest.
Triveni-Susta, Pratappur, Guthisuryapura, Somani, Thulokhairtawa, Kudiya, Rupouliya and Bedauli VDCs among others have been badly affected. The canal stretches 19 kilometers through Nepali territory before entering UP in India.
In July 2002, then Minister for Water Resources of Bihar, Jagatananda Singh, had made a commitment to provide compensation to the affected Nepalis. Also, erstwhile Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, during an inspection visit, committed himself to talking to the Indian side about prompt compensation for the locals. However, not a single victim has been provided any relief since then.
The Indian embassy here has already forwarded a letter to the government in Delhi. "The government of Nepal submitted some measures for the improvement of the situation over there to us. We have conveyed it to the concerned authority of the Indian government a few days ago," said Gopal Baglay, spokesperson of the embassy. He also informed that the Indian government is going to take prompt action over the matter. He further said that the Gandak Canal authorities will see to fulfillment of 12 of the demands raised by protestors in bordering villages of Nawalparasi district.
Nepal's government wrote to the Indian government after the completion of a field report on the problem. Two senior divisional engineers from the Department of Irrigation (DoI) prepared the report. "We have submitted the report with our findings and recommendations to the Ministry (of Water Resources)," said Madhusudan Poudel, director-general at DoI. "We have recommended immediate, mid-term and long-term solutions," he added.
Poudel informed that the problem arose because there was no cleaning of the syphons in the canal. Nepali officials had frequently requested Indian representatives to ensure thorough and frequent cleaning of the syphons. He also stated that the syphons should be connected directly to the outlet points to ensure smooth flow of the water.
Raising a 21-point demand, locals from over a dozen VDCs in Nawalparasi district affected by inundation have been staging sit-in protests round the clock at the canal site since May 24. The locals blamed the Nepal government for failing to properly raise the issue.
However, Poudel said that the Nepal government can do nothing except to talk to its Indian counterpart as the entire responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the canal lies with the government of India.
Locals have for years been demanding the cleaning of the syphons, maintenance of the dilapidated canal, construction of a road alongside, permanent solution to the inundation problem, and renovation of dilapidated bridges over the canal, among other things. They said that they will be continuing their struggle until they receive compensation from the Indians.
Over 1,000 locals join the demonstrations each day, the locals said. Apart from threatening to demolish both banks of the canal as well as the barrage, they have threatened to stop the water flow in the canal for two months if their demands are not fulfilled. Prem Chandra Gupta, secretary of the struggle committee, vented his ire against both governments for not taking any initiative to resolve the problem.
"The Indian side needs to clean the syphons before the monsoon begins so as to protect the areas from inundation," Gupta said.
Of the 21 demands forwarded by the locals, the Gandak Project has agreed to see to the fulfillment of 12, said Baglay. "As the officials have given assurances to fulfill their 12 genuine demands, the locals should have called off their agitation," he said. However, members of the struggle committee and officials at the site claimed that they have not been informed about any initiative being taken from the Indian side.
"I have no knowledge of initiatives taken for fulfilling the 21 demands," Anand Parajuli, liaison and land acquisition officer at the site, said. Lately, the locals have added a new condition for reviewing the bilateral agreement as their demand for compensation for inundation and erosion was not fulfilled by the Indian government even after years of protest.
Triveni-Susta, Pratappur, Guthisuryapura, Somani, Thulokhairtawa, Kudiya, Rupouliya and Bedauli VDCs among others have been badly affected. The canal stretches 19 kilometers through Nepali territory before entering UP in India.
In July 2002, then Minister for Water Resources of Bihar, Jagatananda Singh, had made a commitment to provide compensation to the affected Nepalis. Also, erstwhile Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, during an inspection visit, committed himself to talking to the Indian side about prompt compensation for the locals. However, not a single victim has been provided any relief since then.
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