KATHMANDU, July 1: A writ petition has been filed at the Supreme Court (SC) demanding that the proposed Kali Gandaki-Tinau Diversion Multipurpose Project be halted immediately.
Advocates Tulsiram Pokharel, Ram Bahadur Shahi and Santosh Bhandari lodged the writ petition on Thursday, citing it is against the spirit of federalism.
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The petitioners have claimed that the project has been introduced as per India’s ‘design and interests’
"India's River Connection Project seeks to connect 14 rivers in all Himalayan regions, including those of Nepal, 18 rivers in the Deccan Plateau and 37 interstate rivers in India," the writ petition claims.
The project aims to irrigate 107,000 hectares of land in Lumbini Province and generate 125 MW of electricity by diverting 80 percent of the Kaligandaki River into the Tinau River. The project plans to divert the Kaligandaki River from Syangja’s Galyang to Tinau in Rupandehi district, which is being strongly opposed by the residents of Gandaki Province and the river basin area.
The writ petitioners have demanded the Supreme Court issue an order to stop the project as the residents of the river catchment area (from Ramdi to Devghat) will be impacted hugely.
“The project is unconditional and goes against the spirit of the law at the first sight as it is sure to impact the river basin areas and dozens of settlements in Palpa, Syangja, Tanahu Devghat, Chitwan, Nawalparasi, Putta, Bulingtar, Dedhgaun and Tribeni.
“This is an assault on a holy river in the name of modern development.”
