Inaruwa, August 27
People who have been affected by the Koshi River have been staging a relay hunger strike for the past 11 days. Mahadev Chaudhary, the president of the Koshi River Victims Committee, says that the relay hunger strike will continue until the government meets the committee’s demands. They have been staging a protest since August 17.
Chaudhary added that the committee was demanding financial aid in accordance with the agreement made by Nepal and India while constructing the Koshi Barrage in 1954. Chaudhary says that India had given around Rs 800 million to Nepal to distribute as financial aid to those whose land has been affected by the Koshi River. However, no one has received that amount.
Former lawmaker Nagendra Jha said that if their demands were not met, they would also disrupt the pilot channel project being initiated by India. They have also asked the government to inform them about the measures being taken by the government to seek financial aid from India.
Former Lawmaker Manpur Chaudhari said that if the demands of the victims were not met, the committee would stage even more protests.
The victims state that even though they were promised compensation, over 15,000 were still waiting to receive it. The victims are seeking compensation for over 88,000-acre land used for constructing the barrage.
