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“Raise Kosi Treaty with India”

KATHMANDU: At a time when Kathmandu and New Delhi are blaming each other for the devastating Kosi floods, Nepal’s Maoist leaders want Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda) should seriously raise the Kosi Treaty with India.

C.P. Gajurel, chief of the Foreign Department of the CPN (Maoist), on Monday said Mr. Prachanda’s first visit to India should not be limited to visiting historic places; rather he should discuss old treaties, specifically those on free movement of people and Kosi river’s management.

“Initially we all thought it was a natural disaster,” Mr. Gajurel told journalists.

“But the Kosi barrage’s weak structure and policies led to the displacement of people and loss of crores of property.”

Nepal and India should also come up with ideas to build a new dam to prevent devastation, he said.

Nepal and India signed the treaty on April 25, 1954, with the objective to control floods, manage irrigation and generate hydroelectricity. Since then the Bihar government has taken up the responsibility of managing the Kosi for 199 years — till 2153 A.D.

The Kosi barrage was inaugurated by King Mahendra. The then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was present at the event.

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