KAILALI, March 21: The Indian government has started building an embankment along the Mahakali River unilaterally in the Nepal-India bordering district of Darchula. Despite continuous protests from the locals, the Indian side has started constructing embankments to push the flow of the Mahakali River toward Nepal.
According to Bhoj Joshi, a local of Khalanga, the Indian side has started constructing the foundation for the embankment nine meters further toward Nepal than the old embankment along the Mahakali River. “We have been protesting against the construction continuously but neither does the Indian side stop the construction work nor does the local authorities do anything about the issue,” Joshi said.
The Nepali side has been speculated to be affected in the monsoon season if the Indian side continues to embank the Mahakali River on its own accord. The locals have accused India of constructing the embankment to change the course of the Mahakali River without any coordination with the Nepali authorities.
India halts embankment construction along Mahakali River in Dar...
As per the international treaties and agreements, no country is allowed to construct any physical infrastructure without the consent of another country which affects the flow of the bordering rivers. However, locals are protesting on a daily basis against the construction of the embankment by India to divert the flow of Mahakali toward Nepal by defying international law and ignoring mutual consent.
The local youths of Darchula also submitted a letter of memorandum to the Chief District Officer on March 10 regarding the issue, demanding the authorities to halt the construction in the Mahakali River.
According to Assistant Chief District Officer Shivraj Joshi, a letter has been sent to District Magistrate Ashish Chauhan of Pithauragadh of India to coordinate with Nepal on the issue. However, the Nepali side has not received any reply from the neighboring counterparts.
Assistant CDO Joshi also asserted that the unilateral embankment on the Mahakali River by India would create problems in Nepal during the monsoon season.
