Minister Ghising Coordinates with India for Water Release from Tanakpur Barrage

Kathmandu, — Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Kulman Ghising stated that efforts are underway with India to release water to Nepal from the Tanakpur Barrage.

Minister Ghising, who also oversees the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport and the Ministry of Urban Development, made the remarks while inspecting the Tanakpur Barrage at Brahmadev in Kanchanpur district under the third phase of the Mahakali Irrigation Project this morning.

According to the Minister’s Secretariat, continuous requests have been made to the Indian side through bilateral mechanisms and meetings to ensure water discharge to Nepal. Minister Ghising expressed confidence that a decision on water release would be made soon, noting that Nepal has already completed the 28-kilometer main canal, along with branch and sub-branch canals, which are ready to irrigate around 5,000 hectares in Kanchanpur district immediately.

During the inspection, Mitra Baral, Director General of the Department of Water Resources and Irrigation, briefed the Minister on recent project progress.

The Mahakali Irrigation Project, considered a national pride initiative, has an estimated cost of Rs 35 billion and aims to provide irrigation facilities to more than 35,000 hectares of land across Kanchanpur and Kailali districts. Under the Nepal-India Integrated Mahakali Treaty, Nepal is entitled to receive 300 cusecs of water during winter and 1,000 cusecs during the monsoon season. Necessary infrastructure on the Nepalese side has already been built to utilize the water in accordance with the Treaty.

However, the project has faced criticism from locals, who claim it has failed to deliver results despite over Rs 9 billion already invested. Officials have also expressed concerns that the infrastructure is beginning to deteriorate due to the lack of water flow.

During the visit, Minister Ghising also inspected the four-lane bridge over the Mahakali River in Bhimdatta Municipality-11, Kanchanpur.