[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
dam-l LS: Nepalis debate water pact
Nepalis debate water pact
with India ahead of vote
06:23 a.m. May 08, 1999 Eastern
By Gopal Sharma
MAHENDRANAGAR, Nepal,
May 8 (Reuters) - Nepalis,
preparing for the second round of a
general election, are debating the
future of a river pact with India
which has become a thorn in
relations between the two
neighbours.
The first round of voting in the
Himalayan kingdom's third
legislative election in nine years
took place last week and the second
is scheduled for May 17.
Voters in this sleepy town on the
western borders with India are
sceptical about the will of
politicians to resolve issues such as
the Mahakali River controversy.
``They make empty promises but
forget everything once they win the
ballot,'' Prem Jairu said
Lack of water for irrigation and
electricity is a key problem in
Nepal, which nestles between India
and China on the southern slopes of
the Himalayas.
In 1996, Nepal and India signed the
Mahakali River Treaty, setting out
the terms for the construction of a
dam to generate hydroelectric
power and provide irrigation.
The new dam, capable of
generating up to 6,400 megawatts,
would cost more than $3.0 billion
to be shared equally between
Kathmandu and New Delhi.
The pact gives Nepal more water
and power from an existing Indian
facility at Tanakpur on the same
river.
A dispute over how the water
should be shared out has delayed
the dam. Nepal wants India's share
to include water New Delhi uses
from existing facilities but this is
opposed by India.
The centrist Nepali Congress and
the Communist United
Marxist-Leninist (UML) parties
vowed in their election manifestos
to go ahead with the dam while the
Communist Marxist-Leninist (ML)
party wants to rewrite the pact.
Political analysts expect no clear
verdict after the vote, which would
cause fresh political instability and
damage prospects of the dam being
built.
``It (the pact) does not give Nepal
equal water rights so it should be
changed,'' said Keshavlal
Shrestha, an ML member.
Analysts say the dam, which would
take more than 10 years to build,
was not a priority for Nepal. The
construction cost was large and the
it would produce more electricity
and water than Nepal needs.
``Mahakali is not a priority for
Nepal. There are better investment
alternatives,'' said Rajendra Dahal,
editor of the Nepali magazine
Himal.
A lack of money and technical
know-how has forced Nepal to use
only 3000 MW power out of its
potential of 83,000 MW.
Only about 15 percent of 22 million
Nepalis currently have access to
electricity.
Private investment in hydropower
can narrow Nepal's $294.2 million
trade gap with India.
Copyright 1999 Reuters Limited.
All rights reserved. Republication
and redistribution of Reuters
content is expressly prohibited
without the prior written consent of
Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable
for any errors or delays in the
content, or for any actions taken in
reliance thereon.