VOL. 27, NO. 39, June 13 , 2008 (Jestha 31 2065 B.S.)

Gandak Treaty And Buri-Gandaki Project 

The 1959 Gandak Treaty signed between Nepal and India  was very  harmful to Nepal. It totally curtailed  Nepal’s right  to use Gandak water for use inside Nepalese territory. The 1964 revision of this Treaty has helped to lessen significantly its  negative impact. Nonetheless, even now Nepal is barred from using the Gandak water in dry months for transvalley  uses in the months of  February to April. After the completion of the Buri-Gandaki Storage Project the dry season flow of the Gandak  might almost be doubled. Now it is the most opportune time before we take the decision to implement the Buri-Gandaki Storage Project  to press India to amend the Gandak Treaty to lift the restriction  on transvalley uses of the Gandak water inside Nepalese territory in the months of February to April.  

How Gandak Treaty 1959 Curtailed Nepal’s Right

After 1951 Nepal had  signed two treaties with India  on water  resources in 1950s. They are  the  Kosi Treaty  signed  in 1954 and  the Gandak Treaty signed in  1959.   Soon  after their  signing Nepal  realized that both these treaties were detrimental to  Nepal's interest.   Particularly  the  Gandak Treaty was  the most  harmful.  The Article 9  of  the Gandak Treaty  that  curtailed   Nepal's water  right is presented below: 

"His Majesty's Government will continue to have the right to withdraw for irrigation or any other  purpose  from the river or its tributaries in Nepal such supplies of water as may be required by them from time to time and  His Majesty's Government  agrees that they shall not  exercise this right in such  manner as is likely, in the opinion of the  parties hereto, prejudicially  to affect the  water requirements of the Project( it is  the  Gandak Irrigation Project)  as set out in the schedule  annexed  hereto." 

The   monthly water requirements provided in the schedule were either very close or  exceeded the river flows baring few months of the monsoon season.  This  treaty  would have   virtually ended the future   prospect   for  irrigation  development in  the  Gandak Basin  within  Nepalese  territory. 

India and Nepal Share Common Principle

India  is  the  downstream  riparian of  all the  rivers  flowing  across the boarder  from  Nepal.  Our  country  will have  to  deal  exclusively  with India  in  water  issues.  Fortunately both   Nepal and  India not  only  have  a common cultural  heritage that  binds  them  together, but also subscribe to similar  principles  in  water  right  issues.  Both the  countries believe that  water belongs to  the country where it  originates,  and the  existing  consumptive uses of  the  waters of a  river cannot in  anyway  deprive   the  upstream  riparian  country  of her  right to  consumptive use of the  same  waters.  Because  of  such  similarity in views on water right principles it  was not   too difficult  to  amend the  existing  agreements on  water  resources  with  India  that  were  detrimental  to  Nepal's  interest  

India Defended Upstream Riparian Rights

The Indo-Pakistan dispute on the Indus arose immediately after the partition in 1947.  

M. Zafrulla  Khan,  the Pakistan  representative in  the  Security Council presented about  it  during a   Security Council debate on the 16 th  December 1952. The  partial  text  is  given  below: 

"The partition of  the Punjab cut  across the  river system of the Province…….The partition  line  was  so  drawn that two of the rivers - Sutlej together with its  tributary  Bias, and  Ravi - while  originating  in India, later on flow into Pakistan….On April 1, 1948…. India turned  off  the waters of these rivers which used to flow into Pakistan.." 

India's  position on the water right principle she is  subscribing to  has been clearly stated in the  Indo-Pakistan Agreement on  Indus (Interim)   signed  on  the 4 th  May,  1948.  It  is  stated:  "..the  propriety  rights in the  waters of the rivers in  East  Punjab (India)  vest  wholly  in  the East  Punjab.." 

West Punjab( Pakistan) disputed India's contention. Its view  being that in  accordance with international law and  equity West Punjab had a right to  the waters  of  the   East   Punjab  rivers.  Finally  India and  Pakistan came to an agreement. The Indus Treaty was  signed on  September 19, 1960. The  Indus  Treaty provided that the waters of the  contentious   rivers  Ravi, Beas and Sutlej  would  be  for  the  exclusive  use  of India.  However, India  would have  to pay Pakistan some  compensation  for  the construction of   projects  to  tap other  rivers in Pakistan to  replace the supply from the above three  rivers. 

Barcelona Convention and India

India needed a greater part of the Ganges flow in the dry seasons for flushing the silts into the sea from the  port area in Calcutta.   India  must have considered that  it is allowed to take up  a  scheme to divert the flow because of her  sovereignty  right over  the domain.  However,  the  Ganges is  a navigable river. The  diversion  would have violated the  International Barcelona  Convention  on the  regime of navigable waterways.   This  convention  was  ratified by British Empire that  included India also  in 1922.    India   to free  herself to undertake the Ganges diversion scheme, denounced the Barcelona  Convention  to  take effect from 26 March, 1957. Soon after   that  India commenced the Ganges  diversion scheme at  Farakka in 1960s.   

Revision of Gandak and Kosi Treaties

The  Kosi and Gandak  Treaties were  binding upon Nepal.  The Vienna  Convention on the  Law of  Treaties states that  every treaty in force is binding upon the parties to it and must be  performed by them  in  good  faith.  It   requires  the  consent of both the signatories  for changes and  amendments  unless there is  a  special  provision  for  it  in  the  treaty.  Nepal   succeeded  in convincing  India that  both  the treaties  should be  amended   to  protect   Nepal's  vital  interest. 

The   Gandak Treaty  was  revised  on 30 th  April,  1964.  The  Article  9 of  the  revised  treaty  is  presented  below:

"His  Majesty's  Government  will continue to have the right to withdraw  for  irrigation or  any other purposes from the river or its tributaries in Nepal such supplies of water as  may be required by them from time to  time in the valley.  For  transvalley   uses  of  Gandak  waters  separate agreements  between His  Majesty's Government and  the Government  of India will be entered into  for the uses of water  in the  months of  February  to April."

The  revised  treaty is  a big  improvement over the previous one.  However, the use of Gandak water for transvalley uses in the months of February to April has been restricted.  

Further Revision of Gandak Treaty

Buri-Gandaki river is a major tributary of the Gandak.  After the completion of the Buri-Gandaki Storage dam the dry season flow of the Gandak in the months of February to April might almost be doubled.  Nepal must seek further  revision of the 1964 Revised Gandak Treaty  to drop the Clause restricting the use of Gandak water inside Nepal in the months of February to April. We must further amend the Gandak Treaty before we take the decision to implement the Buri-Gandak Storage Dam project. After such additional revision the Gandak Treaty would be on a par with the 1966 Revised Kosi Treaty in terms of  complete  recognition  Nepal’s  right to use water of the Gandak and its tributaries.    

1966 Revised Kosi Treaty

The Kosi Treaty was  revised on 19 th  December,  1966.  Nepal's full right over the Kosi  river  has  been established in the  revised treaty.   The  Article 4  ( i )  of  the  Treaty related   with  the  water  rights has  been  presented  below: 

"HMG  shall have every right to withdraw  for irrigation and  for  any other purpose  in  Nepal  water from  the Kosi river and from the Sun-Kosi   river  or  within the Kosi basin from any other  tributaries of the Kosi river as  may be  required from  time  to  time.  The  Union ( it  indicates  India )  shall have  the  right  to  regulate all  the balance of  supplies in  the Kosi  river at  the  barrage site thus available  from  time  to  time and  to  generate  power  in  the  Eastern  Canal."