Indo-Nepal Frontier Dam

Indo-Nepal Frontier Dam

Honorable Minister for Home Affairs Bhim Rawol released a book entitled Bharat-Nepal Seemavarti Baandh (Indo-Nepal Frontier Dam) written by Border Expert Buddhi Narayan Shrestha on 10 September 2009, amidst a function at Russian Science and Cultural Centre, organized by Bhumichitra Mapping Company. Releasing the book the minister said, this type of book will help to make Nepal prosperous and to create national awareness utilizing natural resources and various rivers of Nepal. He further said, this book may be an important document to formulate a policy to resolve inundation and flood prone problems on the interest of nation. The book, which I released half an hour ago has pointed out the inundation issues and suggested, what should be done to make Nepal more well-to-do and self-respected, remaining free from anxiety.

The Home Minister mentioned on the current problem to maintain law and order that special peace and security plan has been implemented to protect the peoples’ right to live fearlessly. He made clear that this is not the policy to suppress political parties, religion and ethnic specialty.

The author of the book Buddhi Narayan Shrestha narrated that his current book has described in detail the dams, barrages, embankments and structures constructed by India in Indo-Nepal frontier, very close to the international border. He expressed: this book enhances knowledge to the students who study inundation problems created by frontier dam, embankment and related structures. It is an informative and useful material to learner, researchers, teachers and general public who are concerned on the said theme. In his speech, he made a satire that some of the pages of the book may be a kind of food for the political workers and leaders to add during their speeches in public mass meeting, to win the mind of the general people.

On the occasion, Former Minister for Water Resources and Academic of Nepal Academy of Science & Technology (NAST) Deepak Gyawali charring the book release function said, the book has unveiled how much and in what extent the dams, embankments, spurs, barrage, afflux bund and structures, constructed by Indian side, have been damaged and being damaged the Nepalese frontier.

In the context to review the book, Former Officer on Special Duty (Ministry of Water Resources) and Former Executive Director of Nepal Electricity Authority Santa Bahadur Pun opined that this is an useful book describing the water logging, inundation, flooding and submergence problems and related issues, as a result of the river dams and embankments, unilaterally constructed by India in Indo-Nepal frontier.

The other commentator of the book, Senior Journalist (Kantipur Daily) on Water Resources Bikash Thapa said, this book has tried to open the eyes and unlocked the ears of the government authorities in the field of inundation and submergence of land problems of the Nepalese people of Tarai area. He raised a question: who is responsible that tens of Nepalese people lost their lives every year, while the gates of Indian frontier barrages have been shut down during heavy downpour of monsoon rain?

Rajendra Maratha, Planning Director of Bhumichitra Company (publisher of this book) suggested, this book must be read at first by 601 Parliamentarian of the Constituent Assembly.

Buddhi Narayan Shrestha has written the book ‘Indo-Nepal Frontier Dam’ with a deep research and study on the cause and effect of the frontier barrage and dams and other similar structures constructed by Indian side, almost without consulting Nepalese side. Shrestha, who is the Former Director General of Survey Department, has divided the book into nineteen items having 408 pages. He has described theoretical aspect of frontier dams-barrages-embankments, Nepal’s rivers and streams and its potentiality. In the book, he has explained and analyzed the reasons of water logging problem, submergence of land, flood and land slide hazard, River Linking Plan of India, International Law on Frontier Barrage, Indo-Nepal Joint Standing Committees on Inundation Problems, Glossary on Inundation and Flood, Who said What on Inundation Problem and some related cartoons, borrowed from various newspapers and materials.

In addition, the author has also mentioned some other topics, such as Geographical Structure of Nepal, Identity of Nepal, Nepal constructed with Himal-Mountain-Plain, ideological Conflict among the Nepalese, National Integrity of Present Nepal, One Madhes-One Pradesh. Similarly, he has chalked down Indo-Nepal multi-dimensional relationship such as, Relation of Barrage and Embankment, Relation of Economic Blockade, Relation of Indian Military Check-Posts in Northern Nepal, Relation to think Nepal under Indian Umbrella, Relation of Trade & Transit, Relation of Nepal’s Peace Zone Proposal, Relation of New Dimension, Relation of Continuity in Breaking the Series & Breaking Series in Continuity, Relation of Pilfering, We ourselves Invite Neighbor’s Intervention etc. The book has analyzed the inundation problems created by twenty-one dams, barrages, and embankments including Laxmanpur, Mahalisagar, Rasiawal-Khurda-Lotan, Koilabas, Tanakpur, Koshi, Gandak, Kailashpuri Barrages and proposed Koshi High Dam, Purnagiri and Pancheswor Dams and presented suggestions in relation to Helsinki Rules, United Nations Convention, Madrid Declaration, International Boundary Treaty Act etc. Thirty-nine maps, photographs, sketches and diagrams with Table have been included. There are Seventeen Appendices at the concluding pages with Glossary of Names.

Source: Gorkhapatra and Kantipur Daily, 11 September 2009 and     Media Mission Weekly, 24 September 2009.