Kathmandu, 07 August (H.S.): India and Nepal will hold a bilateral water resources meeting in the first week of September to discuss the long-pending Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project and other issues related to the Mahakali Treaty. The meeting, being held after a gap of four years, is considered significant for strengthening water resource cooperation between the two neighbouring countries.

The meeting will also include discussions of the India-Nepal Joint Committee on Water Resources and the Joint Standing Technical Committee on water-related issues. Several key matters, including the proposed link canal from the Tanakpur Barrage to the Nepal border, will be taken up during the talks.

The agenda is expected to cover the Tanakpur-Mahendranagar link road, supply of irrigation water to the Dodhara-Chandani region, the Saptakoshi High Dam Multipurpose Project, and the Sunkoshi-Kamla Storage-cum-Diversion Project.

Besides this, both countries will review the progress of joint committees on the Kosi and Gandak projects, along with discussions on waterlogging and flood management.

Joint Secretary at Nepal’s Ministry of Energy, Sushil Chandra Acharya, has confirmed that the Pancheshwar Project has been included in the agenda of the meetings scheduled for September.

According to senior government officials, during Nepal Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal’s visit to India in June, New Delhi expressed its willingness to resolve pending differences and move forward with the implementation of the Mahakali Treaty. Following this, the bilateral meeting is being organised.

A senior Nepali government official said that both sides are exchanging their proposed agendas on comprehensive water resource cooperation and issues related to the Pancheshwar Project. The official added that the agenda is currently being finalised.

The September meeting is being considered crucial as it will mark the resumption of formal high-level dialogue on water resources between India and Nepal after nearly four years. The talks have raised hopes of making progress on the long-delayed Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar