A high-level Indian technical team arrived in Kathmandu on Tuesday to work out a possible long-term solution to the problem caused by flooding in Koshi.

The Indian team headed by chairman of Central Water Commission of India A.K Bajaj is scheduled to take field trips to areas most affected by the breach in the Koshi embankment at west Kushaha in Sunsari district for two days starting Wednesday.

The breach had caused massive flooding in Sunsari and Inaruwa districts, forcing more than 60,000 people to seek shelter in government run relief camps. The flooding caused even more havoc in neighboring Bihar state where more than 3 million people were reportedly affected.

After the visit, the Indian team will hold discussion with a high level Nepali team led by Secretary at the Ministry of Water Resources Shanker Koirala including senior Nepali officials and experts on Friday.

The Indian team is here to facilitate the implementation of the agreements reached at the Joint Committee on Water Resources (JCWR) held in the capital last month.

Officials at the Ministry of Water Resources said Tuesday that during the meeting Nepal will stick to its original stance that the Koshi spur be reconstructed strictly as per the original design when it was first built to check river flooding in India’s Bihar state.

According to the Nepal-India Koshi Treaty of 1954, India is responsible for the operation and maintenance of Koshi Barrage and embankment in the Koshi area.

Meanwhile, the Kathmandu Post reports that there has been no progress in fulfilling the various demands of Koshi flood victims, including rehabilitation and compensation.

“The patience of flood victims who have been taking shelter in temporary camps is running out and we have intensified our protest for the fulfillment of the 11-point demand,” Bhuwaneshwor Yadav, member of Koshi Flood Victim Struggle Committee told the Post.

He said that the government has turned a deaf ear to their demands and left them with no choice but to take to the streets.

In another report, the government has asked India to resolve the problem of inundation caused by construction including the Laxmanpur barrage across the border from Banke district.

India had unilaterally built the controversial barrage without any consultation with the Nepal. nepalnews.com Nov 05 08