Mahakali

Sarada Agreement 1920 sharing of the Mahakali River India exchanged 4000 acres of land for 2898 acres of land of Nepal Maintenance, Operation, Protection of Sarada Barrage At Banbasa (Uttar Pradesh) Provisions 14,000 cusecs of water to India and 1000 cusecs of water to Nepal

Tanakpur Treaty in 1991 Severe criticism within Nepal Built a weir part away across the river Mahakali flowed away from the weir took away 33 acres of Nepal land 1000 cusecs capacity head regulator at Tanakpur 150 cusecs of water to irrigate border side of both India and Nepal Between ha of land on Nepalese side irrigation India 10 MW of energy at a special cost to Nepal despite the loss of power supply from the Tanakpur Power Station

Tanakpur Power Station Major Obstacle between two countries No Cooperative engagement As Constitution was promulgated on 9 th November 1990 in Nepal, Article 126 deemed it necessary for a parliamentary ratification by two-thirds India’s controlling interest over the major rivers for economic reasons

Tanakpur Agreement remained undisclosed to the Nepali public Not produced in the Parliament in the pretext that it was only an ‘understanding’ not a treaty. Severe criticism from all quarters of Nepal. Media inform the people of the pros and cons of the Tanakpur project Koirala and his party Nepali Congress faced still opposition from the opposition. Scathing attack to the Tanakpur agreement from street to houses. Rostrum of lower house was gheraod (encircled) for eight hours by the UML on 28 February 1991.

Supreme Court decided that the Tanakpur agreement waas indeed a treaty and not just an understanding Required Parliamentary ratification To ratify the tanakpur agreement by simple or special majority was left to the Parliament. A Commission was headed by Lok Raj Baral Six point Criteria to analyse Commission concluded that Tanakpur agreement was ‘ all encompassing serious and long term nature’ and recommended to ratify with a simple majority

Nepali Congress, Rastriya Prajatantra Party, and Sadbhawana coalition government Visit of Indian PM, Foreign Minister and Water Resources Minister Clarify the uncertainities and realities of Tanakpur treaty.

Mahakali Treaty signed in February New prospects of harnessing the Himalayan Rivers for hydropower, irrigation and flood control Valid for 72 years, reviewed every 10 years Principle of equitable and reasonable use. Replaces earlier understanding on Sarada Barrage, Tanakpur Barrage and the proposed Pancheshwar Project cusecs in the wet season and 150 cusecs in the lean season. If Sarada becomes non-functioning minimum flow of 350 cusescs downstream to preserve river ecosystem

Joint operation of the head regulators and waterways. 70 million KW of energy on a continuous basis anually Free of Cost 132 KV transmission line up to Nepal-India border from Tanakpur Power Station Tanakpur Power Station 120 MW capacity, generates million KW of energy Provision for incremental energy to Nepal against payment. Prime Consideration for Nepal’s water requirements and irrigation.

Approved by 2/3 of the majority of the Parliament of Nepal. Equitable distribution of water Nepali politicians digruntled over range of real and perceived reasons