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 4000-5000 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 9th
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 1996.
• 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.
• 1000 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
448.4 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