‘Non-maintenance by India led to Koshi havoc’

BY THIRA L BHUSAL
KATHMANDU, Aug 23

A high-level government team that inspected areas devastated by the flooded Koshi River has held India responsible for the havoc.

The devastation took place as the Indian side did not carry out repair and maintenance work on the Koshi barrage and the embankment along the river, thereby violating the Nepal-India Koshi agreement, said top officials. India is entirely responsible for repair and maintenance work and operation of the barrage, as per the bilateral agreement signed in 1954.

"Every year in the past the Indian side used to do at least some maintenance work. But this year they did not carry out the repairs," Khom Raj Dahal, Deputy Director General of the Department of Water Induced Disaster Prevention (DWIDP), told the Post. "This was the main reason why the Koshi breached the embankment and submerged about 10,000 hectares of cultivated land and villages."

The Indian side used to contact the Regional Directorate of the Department of Irrigation (DoI) in Biratnagar. The DoI plays a facilitating role as and when requested by the Indian teams. "But, this year they did not contact the DoI regional office" Dahal said.

However, issuing a strongly worded press statement on the matter Tuesday, the Indian embassy in Kathmandu blamed Nepali authorities for the disaster. "The Indian technical team mobilized required resources and has remained in readiness to carry out the required work to strengthen the embankment but it was prevented from reaching the site. As a consequence, thousands of people in Nepal and India have been forced to suffer a calamity that could have been avoided," the embassy said.

When the Indian technical team arrived at the Koshi River as in past years, it was too late to control the situation, according to Dahal.

"They arrived there when the river had already started damaging the spurs whereas the maintenance work should have been done before the monsoon to prevent such a tragedy," he added.

Another major reason for the river's diversion is the increasing level of the riverbed. "The riverbed is two to three meters higher than the countryside (areas outside of embankment)," Dahal said.

About 32 kilometer stretch of the embankment from the Koshi barrage to Chakraghatti is in a vulnerable condition. "Thorough reconstruction of that total area is the permanent solution," he added.

After bilateral talks an Indian team has agreed to immediately start work at the site. The two sides have reached a seven-point agreement.

Deputy Director General of DoI Anil Kumar Pokharel led the Nepali delegation. Dahal of DWIDP, Regional Director of DoI Kamal Prasad Regmi and Senior Divisional Engineers Hemant Kumar Jha and Basistha Raj Adhikari were members of the Nepali team. Likewise, the Deputy Secretary of Water Resource Department of the Government of Bihar
led the six-member team of India.

The Nepali side has agreed to back the Indian team in establishing link and access roads to the damaged areas. For that, the displaced people who have been staying along the safe embankment areas need to be relocated to safer places. The embankment areas are also being used as roads. Nepali authorities will help establish roads through the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Dahal informed.

Then only will the Indian side start reinstatement of the damaged areas. "The reconstruction work needs to be completed prior to the monsoon in 2009 so as to avoid any disaster next year,"

Dahal said.Embankment not permanent solution: Expert

Ajay Dixit, Director of the Nepal Water Conservation Foundation, has said that there is a need for rethinking the very concept of building embankments for flood control.

"Embankment is an easy way to address flooding but not a sustainable solution. The notion that technology can solve all types of problems is wrong," Dixit told the Post, adding, "Preventing water from its natural flow is not a permanent solution but to give it an outlet is the right way. Drainage or other types of outlets can be better options."

Hydro expert Dixit, suggested that the concept of an open basin allowing a river's main course to expand to its flood plain may be a better option.

THE KATHMANDU POST

Survey licenses for 15 hydro projects in 16 days

BY THIRA L BHUSAL
KATHMANDU, Aug 19

The Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) has issued licenses to 15 different promoters within a period of 16 days recently for survey work for electricity generation projects. Total capacity of the 15 different projects has been estimated to be 185 MWs.

The projects, for which survey licenses have been issued, range from the 100-MW Upper Marsyangdi-I situated in Lamjung district to the 1.5-MW Sawane-A in Baglung district.
The ministry issued a survey license for the 4.61-MW Igdigadh project in Achham district on July 29 and a license for the 100-MW Upper Marsyangdi-I in Lamjung to Multi Model Developers Pvt Ltd on July 30.

The ministry on July 31 issued licenses for four projects to different promoters. It decided to issue licenses for the 5-MW Ankhu Khola-I project in Dhading to Aankhu Jalvidut Co Pvt Ltd, 2.8-MW Lower Khorunga in Tehrathum Jaljale to IDS Energy Pvt Ltd, 1.6-MW Lower Jogmai Khola of Ilam to Yanchen Doma Lama, and 3.8-MW Upper Chingad in Surkhet to Jalvidyut Network Pvt Ltd.

Likewise, the ministry issued survey licenses for seven hydro projects to different promoters on August 12 alone. On that day, the government issued licenses for the 7-MW Badigadh project situated at the border of Gulmi and Baglung districts, 2-MW Nisi Khola project in Baglung, 3.75-MW Sudha Khola project of Lamjung, 1.5-MW Sawane-A project in Baglung, 5-MW Badigadh-A project situated along the border of Baglung and Gulmi districts, 5-MW Phalakhukhola project in Rasuwa, and 3-MW Badigadkolti in Bajura to different independent producers.

Similarly, the ministry on August 13 issued licenses for the 30-MW Upper Madi project in Kaski district to Upper Madi Hydropower Pvt Ltd and 10-MW Trisuli Galchhi project situated along the border of Nuwakot and Dhading districts to Siddakali Power Pvt Ltd.

The government in recent days took decisions only on the applications for projects with capacity below 100-MW. There are 59 pending applications for survey licenses for projects with capacity above 100-MW, according to the Department of Electricity Development (DoED). "The government will take decisions over the applications for projects with capacity above 100-MW in the days to come," Sriranjan Lacoul, director general of DoED, told the Post.
There are 144 applications for projects with capacity above 10-MW. The total capacity of these projects is 5725 MWs.

Similarly, 285 applications for projects with one to 10-MW capacity are in process. Likewise, there are 263 applications for projects with below one-MW capacity.
The government has refused to renew the licenses of 12 projects including the 101-MW Tamor Mewa in Taplejung and 67.7-MW Kaligandaki Begkhola in Myagdi district, on charge of unsatisfactory progress.

Meanwhile last fiscal year alone, 24 promoters applied for generation licenses. Of these, three producers were issued generation licenses for Maikhola (2.4-MW), Kulekhani-III (14-MW) and Hewa Khola (2.4-MW), according to Lacoul.

In total, survey licenses have been issued for scores of producers for projects with a cumulative capacity of over 5,000 MWs.

THE KATHMANDU POST

NEA wants 15 pc tariff increase

BY THIRA L BHUSAL
KATHMANDU, Aug 19

Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) is planning to increase the current customer tariff rate by 15 percent to cope with the hike in prices of other goods and other factors, a top NEA official said Monday.

"We need to enforce at least 15 percent increment in the current tariff rate, given the yawning gap between production cost and purchasing rate and current rate," said NEA Managing Director Arjun Karki, talking to journalists on the sidelines of NEA's anniversary function in the capital.
He, however, revealed that the existing tariff rate will not increase for those using less than 20 units of electricity per month. "The increment should be for industries, businesses and others who consume more and can afford to pay more," Karki said.

The NEA chief also said NEA is in favor of selling the power purchased from independent power producers without incurring any loss. "Timely price adjustment is the solution. It will strengthen NEA's financial capacity and help promote other projects," he said.

NEA incurred a net loss of Rs 1.3 billion in the last fiscal year alone while its accumulated loss stands at Rs 7.13 billion.

Karki also claimed NEA is in a position to solve the load-shedding problem within five years. "Altogether 525 megawatt electricity from different projects will be added to the systems within five years," he informed. Likewise, over 700 MW will be added to the systems by 2070-2071 BS, according to him.

Karki also said that with improvement in transmission system in India, it would be possible to import additional 40 MW electricity from India this year. The 70 MW Middle Marsyangdi Hydroelectric Project is expected to complete within the next four months.
However, water level at Kulekhani hydroelectric project is significantly low this season. The water level in the reservoir at Kulekhani project is 9-10 meters lower compared to same time last year, according to Karki. Kulekhani is the only storage-type hydroelectric project in the country.

The demand for power is increasing by about 10 percent every year. However, unionists at NEA accused that irregularities, corruption, political interference, and impunity, among other factors were to blame for NEA's loss. "Buying low quality goods and preparing bills double than the actual price has become common practice," Durga Dhakal, Coordinator of Nepal National Employees Organization, NEA claimed.

"Recently Indian transformers were bought instead of promoting domestic products. But, several of the transformers exploded within 24 hours of installation," he added.

THE KATHMANDU POST