🚩River Mahakali and other Indo Nepal territorial disputes🚩 © @✒GBG⚔


1.  River Sharda is in news. Some folks are suggesting that the plan to link it with Yamuna has been mooted by the present government.   Linking River Sharda  in Nepal  with Yamuna, was infact originally formulated by the Water Resource Ministry in the year 1980 for inter-basin transfer of water. So nothing new here.

2. When talking of river Sharda, we have to also remember  to go into some more details on this river, aswellas some outstanding indo-Nepal disputes.

3.  River Sharda is  known as river Mahakali in the upper Indo-Nepal regions. It marks the western boundary of Nepal with India and is disputed at places.   Its a 350 km long river, starting from a pond close to a Mahakali temple, in KalaPani region,  and ends as it merges in Ghagra river in U.P.

4.  The river has a great hydroelectric potential as  in its 350km run, the river  in the Kalapani region,  descends from 3,600 metres (11,800 ft) where it begins to 200 metres (660 ft), as it enters the Terai plains, to finally merge in to river Ghagra.

5.  Sharda  is a part of Gangetic  river system. Sharda or Mahakali has a  basin size of 18,140 square kilometers. Its main left ributaries falling in from Nepal are  Chameliya and Ramgun, whereas its right  tributaries falling in from Indian Uttarakhand are Kuti, Dhauli, Gori, Sarju, Ladhiya. Going by this India has  a strong claim to the river's waters.

6.  All though, agreeing to water management sharing, Nepal puts a spoke in the process every time after initially agreeing to linking the river's waters with Yamuna. If done, not only will the Yamuna flow clean, but even the Ghagra floods would be subdued, but India being the main beneficiary of it, Nepal seems less interested, as it even disputes the river, as an international boundary at places

7.   There are in general 3 major disputed areas  betwen Nepal and India, as per Nepal. These are....
     (i). Parts of KalaPani region on Indo Nepal border.  Although Nepal  claims it as a part of their Darchula District, the region  is controlled by India's Indo-Tibetan border security force.  Nepal claims that the river to the west of Kalapani is main MahaKali river,  hence it belongs to Nepal. But India claims that ridgeline to the east of Kalapani, which marks the catchment area of the river,  is the border, hence  Kalapani area belongs to India. Kalapani region contains parts of Nepal's Mahakali  region and parts of the Indian state of Uttarakhand.
     (ii).  Susta Region:-  Susta region has an area totaling over 14,000 hectars / 140 Sq Kms and is administered by  Indian Army.  It lies between Tribeni-Susta area of  Nepal and Nichaul areas of Uttar Pradesh, India.
     (¡¡¡). LipuLekh Pass, a Himalayan  pass at a height of  5,200m/17,060ft on the borders of Uttarakhand and Tibet, is also strangely disputed by Nepal. This Himalayan Pass near the tripoint town of Taklakot (Purang) has been used since ancient times by traders, mendicants and pilgrims transiting between India and Tibet, and even by some  Manasarovar pilgrims. China controls the northern slopes of this pass where as India controls the southern side of the pass.

8. Thus  to see Nepal as a no-nuisance buffer state betwen India and China could be a big mistake. With increasing Chinese influence, Nepal can any day start acting as the 'Dragon's Claw'.

9.   Although, some folks are celebrating the Indian initiative of providing Nepal, a better Road and Water Way access to Nepal till Calcutta, and even help set a Rail link till Dhaka, reference the Indo-Nepal summit,  we can  not ignore that, 100% goods coming for Nepal to calcutta port, come from China. China is the manufacturer aswellas the seller. Nepal is the buyer and consumer. Thus by doing what we are doing, we are only  facilitating the Chinese goods to reach Nepalese markets.

10.  In light of the above,  it should be very clear, that Nepal is a direct gainer in this complete deal, and China is the the main beneficiary, from this deal.

11.  Although if in return for all this, we can get rolling the projects on linking Sharda with Yamuna Through Shivaliks, it would be an extremly fortunate step for India, but I dont see it coming forth so soon, as Nepal seems to be playing the Monkey betwen Indian and Chinese cats.
🚩तत्त सत्त अकाल🚩
© ✒ Guru Balwant Gurunay. ⚔

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