Koirala raised the issue with Chief Minister of UP Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday during a meeting in Lucknow, the provincial capital of UP.
In the past, Nepal government had written to the Indian government to improve the design proposed by India for providing unregulated passage to Gandheli and Sotia drains. [break]
The current embankment causes inundation in nine VDCs covering 40 square kilometers along the Nepal-India border in Banke district every monsoon. Water flow in the drains is blocked due to the embankment, which extends up to Laxmanpur Barrage.
According to NC secretary general Krishna Sitaula, who was present at the meeting, CM Yadav has given positive response on the matter and has said that India and Nepal should mutually solve the problem.
India had submitted a detailed proposal to Nepal during the Nepal-India Joint Committee on Water Resources (JCWR) talks in Kathmandu in 2008. India has included a design in the proposal to allow natural flow of 40 cubic meters per second (cumec) water from the structure and submitted the proposal to Nepal for comments.
During bilateral talks at the High Level Technical Committee in October 2004 in Kathmandu, Indian representatives had agreed to allow unregulated outlet to water blocked in Nepali territory.
Chief Minister Yadav has also assured opening up of Gulariya-Murtiya trade route as per the agreement between India and Nepal in 2009.Koirala has urged the UP government to implement the agreement in order to facilitate smooth trade. NC President of Bardiya district Sanjay Gautam was present at the meeting to discuss the matter.
It is learnt that India´s central government had earlier written to UP government to implement the project.
With new addition in 2009, the total customs opened for bi-lateral trade has reached 27.
The duo also discussed the problem relating to cross-border criminal activities and the need to control and regulate the open border, according to Sitaula.
Koirala had reached Lucknow Wednesday to hold talks with Yadav. He is visiting Bihar state of India on Thursday.
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