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Pancheswor Multipurpose Project: Nepal rejects Indian draft DPR over use of Mahakali waters

Kathmandu, December 18

Nepal has rejected a proposal from India that seeks to use almost all of the Mahakali waters to its advantage, at the expense of Nepal.

The detailed project report of the Panchshwor multipurpose project, which the Indian government entity WAPCOS has prepared, seeks to let India have 78 per cent of Mahakali waters. Pancheshwor Development Authority has made the DPR available to both Nepal and India. WAPCOS had submitted the proposal to the authority in April, 2016.

The Ministry of Energy had formed a committee under former secretary Sriranjan Lakaul to study the DPR and make recommendations. The committee reported to the Ministry in the last week of November, and the ministry to the authority on November 29.

The committee noted three reservations:

  1. The report considers water use in the lower Sarada as pre-dating the Mahakali Treaty. This consideration is wrong as the Sarad is in India, and it is not a ‘boundary’ river like the Mahakali.
  2. Water allocated by the Mahakali Treaty for the Nepali areas near the river pre-date the Pancheswor project, and its implementation/ non-implementation has no bearing on the water entitlement of Nepal.
  3. The DPR does not take into account the local consumption of water. According to the Mahakali Treaty, local people should get at least 5 per cent of average annual flow of the Mahakali

According to sources, WAPCOS has already submitted a new DPR draft to the Ministry and the PDA, and the ministry has asked the PDA to note the changes made to the previous version of the DPR, then send the document to the ministry for review.

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