Presented by: Dr. Hem Raj SubedeeProgram Co-ordinator

Department of conflict, peace and Development studiesTribhuvan University, Kathmandu

Nepal

Water Issues between Nepal & India

• Nepal, a small mountainous country along the southern slopes of the Himalayas, has placed itself in an important strategic position for centuries.

•sandwiched between India & China

•Closer Social, Economic and Cultural ties with India than China

•China: Geographically isolated by a chain of rugged mountain range: the Himalaya Very Less Accesibility

•India: Close and cordial relation with the southern neighbor for a long time.ProximityOpen borderCultureReligionEven family ties

Nepal-India Relations

Water Resources of Nepal

• Location of Super-developing India along Eastern, Southern and Western Frontiers of Nepal.

•Emotions of Hope

•Results: Disappointment

• Anticipation: Close Cooperation would lead to a speedy development of NEPAL.

•But The Biggest Question: Will it ???

The Geopolitics of Resources and Energy

• Nepal is the source of large numbers of fast flowing rivers that originate in the Himalayas

• These rivers carry huge potential energy as they flow downwards across the mountainous terrain

• Nepalese Interest: Close cooperation with India to generate power from these water resources

•Power generated can be shared between the two countries

•Indian Interest: Control of the water flowing from Nepal

Past Water Treaties with India

• Sarada Barrage Agreement

•Treaty of Kosi

•Treaty of Gandak

•Tanakpur Treaty

•Mahakali Treaty

Political Timeline of Nepal1768: Beginning of the Shah Dynasty

1846: Beginning of the Rana Rule

1923: Treaty with British, Nepal’s sovereignty

1951: End of Rana Rule, Congress form govt.1955: King Mahendra ascends throne

1959: First Gen. election in Nepal, B.P Koirala P.M.1960: Mahendra suspends parliament, constitution and politics

1990: Pro-democracy movement, King Birendra agrees to New democratic constitution1991: G.P. Koirala elected P.M.

2006: King Gyanendra restores Parliament after months of voilent agitation from Political parties and Maoists

Water Treaties vs. Political Development in Nepal

• India’s way of asking the ‘Political Price’

1920: Sarada Barrage Agreement

1954: Kosi Treaty

1959: Gandak Treaty

1991: Tanakpur Treaty

1996: The treaty of Mahakali

Sarada Barrage Agreement

• 1920, Signed during the British rule in India

• Sarada river forms border between India and Nepal, known as Mahakali river in Nepal

• Nepal : 4.25 m3/s during dry season13 m3/s during wet season4000 acres of land was lostSome forestland and Rs.50,000 was promiesed by India the promises were never kept

India : Constructed the Sarada BarrageSarada Canal withdraw 396 m3/s water for irrigation

Kosi and Gandak Agreement

• Signed in 1954 and 1959 respectively

• Political Scenario: India had received IndependenceNepal was free from Rana rule

• Large tracts of Nepalese land were submerged due to the site of construction of the dam.

• Nepal argued construction of Kosi barrage in Baranashetra instead of Chatara and Gandak barrage near Narayanghat instead of Bhaiselotan

•Nepalese needs were not heeded by Indian authorities and the dams were constructed according to their own self-vested interests.

Tanakpur Treaty

• Elections in 1991 elected G.P. Koirala as the P.M of Nepal

• G.P. Koirala visited New Delhi for his alliance for the support of restoration of democracy to Nepal

• Came back by signing the Tanakpur Treaty

•The treaty was highly criticized by the Nepalese people

•PM was hackled for years with threats and blocks

•G.P.Koirala was put in the charge sheet of ‘sellers of rivers’

Mahakali Treaty• Pressure from India to the Nepalese politicians to sign the treaty

• Direct and Indirect play; Many personal Benefits through the Indian Embassy Kathmandu

•The Foul Game Proved succesful

•Mahakali treaty was ratified by the Nepalese parliamentarians

•The Detailed Project Report (DPR) was never made out to the public even until today

•Inundation of 25,000 hectares of fertile land

• More than 56,000 people of Nepal displaced

•Nepal not only lost the rights of the river but also got 4% less water

•The construction of hydro project for electricity is still in limbo

Violation of Internation Water laws by India• Building dam within 15 km upstream and downstream of border is against International Law

•Construction of dam within 8km of border unilaterally is prohibited: Helsinki Rules

•Several dams have been constructed by India along the India-Nepal border.

•RusiawalKurdaLautan, Laxamanpur, Luna, Koilabas, Mahlisagar, Tanakpur, Girijapur, Rauthahat etc.

•Problems of Inundation in large parts of Nepal

•Third High Level Technical (HLTC) meeting in inundation between the two countries was held from 27-29 September 2004

•Standing Committee on Inundation Problem (SCIP) followed right after from September 30- October 2, 2004 •India failed to realize any of Nepal’s genuine Inundation problem jeopardizing their relations.

India’s Clandestine Role to Influence Nepal’s Water Projects

• India has an upper hand dealing with a tiny Himalayan Country

•International funding agencies initiated several water projects in Nepal

•Undermined due to the direct and indirect pressure by India

•Medium sized projects Bagmati, Kamala, Rapti, Sikta etc. which could be afforded by Nepal on its own were sabotaged by India

•Big projects such as the Arun III which would bring tremendous benefits to Nepal were cancelled due to the indirect game of India

•World Bank would show interest only in groundwater projects in Nepal as this would not involve any problem with India

•Several River Linking Projects started from India: Nepal has to keep silent to them

The Road Forward

• India’s interests are only in the control of water flowing from Nepal not in the power generated

•This might be detrimental to India: 2005, the gap between demand and supply of electricity in India was 50,000 MW

•Nepal is getting nothing but giving more to India including its natural rights to the free use of the water

•A poor and developing country like Nepal has no other choice than to export the power generated from the fast flowing rivers of Nepal

•If India is to continue her unfair treaties with Nepal, the opportunity to receive easy power from a neighboring country might be forever closed to India

•As new political stability show signs in Nepal, a better policy and investment towards energy generation might be the real road forward