India, Nepal spar over shared river

The bone of contention is four reservoirs whose construction dates back to British rule.

Nepalese media and NGOs say four of these -- the Mahali Sagar, Marthi Sagar, Siswa Sagar and Bajha Sagar -- cause inundation on both sides of the border during monsoons, with Nepal bearing the brunt of over 60 per cent.

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This year, as monsoons invaded Nepal with landslides and floods, Mahali Sagar has been the biggest centre of dispute.

Locals say the reservoir -- which stores the waters of the Masaiya canal, and which that in turn drains the water of the Banganga river near the border with Uttar Pradesh -- floods both countries.

But Nepal suffers more as over 90 per cent of the flooded land belongs to the Himalayan kingdom. Protests became shriller when the media reported that India was building another embankment.

Though the Indian government clarified that it was only repairing a damaged structure in the existing dam, local groups have been vocal about the impact of "unilateral structure intervention" on them as well as India-Nepal ties.

While India has been trying to respond to the accusations, the Nepalese government, despite having over a dozen committees and organisations to look at such issues, has remained silent.

India, which has a bilateral flood forecasting system with Nepal, has given Nepalese Rs.250 million to construct embankments in Nepal and expressed readiness for joint site visits and technical discussions.

Nagma Mullick, a senior official at the Indian embassy here, is concerned over the "selective leaks" of confidential government-to-government correspondence -- which then get "quoted out of context".

"They vitiate the atmosphere and push away a resolution to the issue, which is how to save people," she says.