Rassiawal dam issue
Nepali official to discuss dam issue with Indian officials today

BY RAM HUMAGAIN

Marchawar (Rupandehi), Aug. 5: Divisional Engineer of the Rupandehi District Irrigation Office Rameshman Tuladhar is going to Barajpur of Siddharthanagar district of India tomorrow to discuss on the problem of inundation of the Nepalese territory due to the construction of Rassiawal Khurdalotan dam by India near Lumbini.

Tuladhar, the contact person of the Nepalese government, said that he would ask the Indian side for the technical data of the construction of the bund and dam near Marchabar of Rupandehi district.

He said the Indian side has not provided any information officially about the elevation of nearly two-kilometre long road from Kalauni to Ramnagar, running parallel to the Nepalese border, and a 30-feet-long bridge, which could be doubled as bund and dam. The 30-metre long bridge has three floodgates, which can be used to regulate the flow of water.

Although the construction of the road and the bridges has stopped now, one can see the construction work of the two bridges and some culverts. Of the two bridges, slabs have already been put on one of them.

Local Nepalese officials say the bone of contention is India’s construction of the bund and the barrage, which also acts as road and the bridge, unilaterally and before the report of the Joint Study Group on the issue of inundation by the two Danav and Danda Rivers (called as Kunda and Ghongi in India respectively), both of which flow from Nepal to India, was discussed. It may here be mentioned that the Indian authorities have constructed the bund and dam within a one-kilometer’s distance from the Nepal-India border without Nepal’s prior approval.

People of Marchawar, and the whole of Rupandehi district, fear if the construction is allowed to complete the road, which is actually a bund, may obstruct the natural (sheet) flow of water of Danda river and the regulation of water by the gates under the bridge would inundate a large area of Nepalese territory in the rainy season.

What they fear more is the Indian plan to stretch the road, which runs parallel to the Nepal-India border, by 12 kilometres would cause havoc in the area and even flood the world-renowned historical and cultural site of Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha which is also included in the UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites.

Other Stories

• 25-pt minute agreement signed to resolve trade related problems
• Foreign Secy Thapa leaves for Colombo
• Gaijatra procession in memory of Their late Majesties
• Journalists should help check anarchy: Mahat
• 'Kidney transplant services should be launched in Nepal'