Fwd: NEPAL-INDIA TALKS: Pancheshwor in troubled waters
Kosi admin
From: Ratan Bhandari <rat...@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Nov 22, 2009 at 10:27 AM
Subject: Fwd: NEPAL-INDIA TALKS: Pancheshwor in troubled waters
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From: WAFED <wa...@ntc.net.np>
“All of a sudden, the Indian side backtracked from Friday's agreement in which officials from the two countries had agreed on TOR of the PDA,” said an official from Pokhara. Now, we cannot say what will happen.”
“We will come up with the minute of the two-day meeting on Sunday morning,” said Anup Kumar Upadhyaya, spokesperson for the Ministry of Energy.
India had agreed to set up the PDA office in Mahendra Nagar and to select the authority's CEO through open competition. The Indians objected as Nepal staked claim on PDA member-secretary's post. There was some hope for western Nepal's inundation problems, with India
agreeing to address the problems caused by blocked flow of the Rapti.
The Indian side, citing insecurity, indicated that it will downsize the strength of its technical team tasked with surveying the proposed Koshi High Dam unless Nepal provides adequate security for the team in upper catchment areas like Tumlingtar. The two sides agreed to convene the ministerial level meeting in India soon.
Nepal-India water talks extended
POKHARA: The two-day fifth secretary-level meeting of Nepal and India was extended as the two sides failed to reach an agreement on implementing the Mahakali treaty today.
According to secretary Shankar Koirala, Pancheshwor and Mahalisagar projects were discussed but there had not been a concrete decision. It is also yet to be decided whether Nepal would invest 20 per cent or 30 per cent of the total Pancheshwor project cost. Discussions were held on Laxmanpur dam and the resulting inundation.
Agreements on sharing equal electricity were made for Pancheshwor. Both the countries would purchase the energy from the project at the same price. However, there has not been any discussion on the Mahakali Treaty. Representatives of both the countries discussed Saptakoshi high dam too.
Nepali talks members have said that it would be easy to take a higher level decision once there was a decision on the technical level.
The Himalayan Times, 22 November 2009. http://thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Nepal-India+water+talks+extended&NewsID=48979
Nepal-India water dialogue begins
Rishi Baral, Pokhara: The two-day ‘fifth secretary-level water talks between Nepal and India’ kicked off in Pokhara today. According to Shankar Koirala, secretary, Ministry for Energy, Koshi high dam, Sunkoshi diversion, Pancheshwor dam, Tanakpur and Mahakali canals are the main agenda of the meeting. He said the meet would also focus on area affected by the Saptakoshi. “The talks will also take up resuming halted projects,’’ Koirala said. Claiming that the meeting would facilitate future decisions on dams and hydro projects, Koirala said issues not resolved during the third and fourth meetings would be focussed this time round.
Koirala heads the Nepali team while Water Resources Secretary Umesh Narayan Panjiyar heads the Indian team. A total of 30 members, 16 Nepali delegates, are taking part in the meeting. Most Nepali participants are chiefs and engineers of various water projects. Nobody else was allowed in the meeting hall while mediapersons were granted entry only for photographs. The main objective of the meeting is to discuss sustainable policies and plans for carrying out joint ventures in the future. The meeting will also discuss the 13-year-old Mahakali Treaty, sorting out some controversial provisions.
Meanwhile, National Heritage and People Rights’ Protection Committee, Federation of Water and Energy Users’ Association and Himalayan and Peninsular Hydrological Network demanded a review of the ‘unequal’ Koshi, Gandak and Mahakali treaties.
Source: The Himalayan Times Daily, 21 November 2009
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