Ninety households in Gobargada of Hanumannagar Kankalini municipality 13 in Saptari have been cut off from the neighboring villages after India unilaterally sent water from a pilot channel in the Koshi barrage Friday evening after rise in water flow.
Locals of Gobargada could earlier walk to other western villages in the municipality with Koshi river flowing to the east of the village. But 300 persons in the village have now been cut off from the other villages after India suddenly sent water from the pilot channel that is to the west of the village.
"India sent water from the pilot channel without prior notice," Mayor of Hanumannagar Kankalini Shailesh Kumar Sah told Setopati. "India should not put our village under risk to save its land."
Mayor Sah pointed that the problem will be far bigger during the monsoon season. "India has constructed the channel coming to the land that is not included in the area through which Koshi is allowed to flow as per the Koshi agreement. This has put the village under risk," he elaborated.
India had built a 15-kilometer channel to the west of village as an alternate route after rise in water flow in Koshi.
"They have sent the water flowing through such a broad Koshi from the channel just 30 meters wide. The water is flowing with great force. It will be difficult to even use boats due to the high force," he claimed. The problem currently is only for transportation but it will be a bigger one during the monsoon season, according to him.
He revealed that the municipality had written to both the Indian side and Nepal government to not send water through the pilot channel. "I have repeatedly written to government officials of both the countries to resolve the problem. But they have not been paying heed," he claimed. "Around 500,000 Nepalis will be in problem if the western embankment were to be breached," he warned.
Chief District Officer (CDO) of Saptari Surendra Paudel said water was sent through the channel during the last monsoon. "The Indian side had constructed the channel to bring Koshi at the center from the last year. But Koshi had not flown from the middle during the dry season until now," CDO Paudel stated.
He claimed that water was not sent without prior notice but Mayor Sah said the municipality and the locals were not notified. "Locals can go to other villages using boats. The water has not affected them. The problem is only in commuting," he pointed.
Locals complain that India has yet to open schools and medical colleges as per the Koshi agreement.
