DAMS ON RIVERS FLOWING FROM NEPAL
Prime Minister of
Nepal visited India in March, 2002 wherein issues relating to
cooperation in Water Resources Sector were also discussed. The
two Prime Ministers interalia stressed the need to set up the
Joint Project Office on Sapta Kosi-Sun Kosi Project expeditiously
for commencing the work on the preparation of the Joint Detailed
Project Report (DPR).
The Government of
India has since approved the proposal of setting up of Joint Project
Office-Sapta Kosi Sun Kosi Investigation (JPO-SKSKI) at an estimated
cost of Rs. 29.34 crore to take up the field investigation and
preparation of Joint DPR. The modalities for setting up of JPO-SKSKI
were discussed during the 5th meeting of India-Nepal
Joint Team of Experts (JTE) held in June, 2003.
As regards projects
on other rivers flowing from Nepal into North Bihar, the proposal
for construction of multipurpose storage dams on river Kamla near
Chisapani and on river Bagmati near Noonthar in Nepal is also
under discussion with Nepal. Efforts to workout an understanding
in this regard are in progress though Nepal feels that these projects
may not be feasible because of socio and environmental implications.
These projects were further discussed during the above meeting
of JTE and the irrigation water requirements in respect of Kamla
and Bagmati Irrigation Schemes in India were given to the Nepalese
side who were also requested to give similar data of their projects.
This information
was given by the Union Minister of State for Water Resources,
Smt. Bijoya Chakravarty in a written reply to a question from
Prof. Ram Deo Bhandary in the Rajya Sabha today.
