The district administration sent the letter to the ministries after Nepali people living in areas bordering India protested the latter´s decision to construct the dam saying this would inundate hundreds of hectares of arable land and dozens of villages in the southern part of the district. [break]
According to Chief District Officer Hari Raj Panta, the letter was sent to the central authorities as construction of the proposed dam would pose a threat to dozens of villages in the nearby areas. Moreover, India needs to take prior approval of the Nepal government to construct big infrastructures in the border areas.
Panta said that the Indian side has not informed the Nepali authorities about the construction of the dam at Kunauli in the Indian state of Bihar across Rampur Malhaniya and Tilathi VDC in Saptari.
DAO was forced to take the move after locals of the over half a dozen VDCs, including Tilathi, Sakarpura, Kochabakhari and Launiya announced protest against India´s highhandedness.
DAO has stressed immediate action as Khando, Jita and Trilajuga rivers need outlet to save the Nepali territories from being inundated. Locals have also formed a struggle committee to protest India´s decision.
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