Bhubanesh Kumar Pradhan,

Ex-Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, Government of Nepal

Nepal has four World Class Rivers. They are Koshi, Gandaki (Narayani), Karnali and Mahakali. In total, Nepal has more than 6000 rivers. Each river has some development potential, with some more and others less. The total annual surface runoff draining the country from these rivers amounts to 225 billion cubic meter of water. Additionally, Nepal has an estimated 12 billion cubic meters of ground water with the Bhavar Zone serving as recharger of groundwater resources. Nepal also has an estimated hydropower potential of 83,000 Mw because of the ample flow and steep gradient provided by nature.

Nepal’s water resources contribute approximately 45 per cent of the long term average flow of the Ganges Basin and constitute over 70 per cent of the Ganges flow during the driest months. These resources make Nepal richest in South Asia for its size. It, therefore, requires the development strategy if it has to prosper.

Present Status of Water Resources Development:

Irrigation:

Nepal has an area of 14,718,100 ha of land. Of this 2,641,000 ha is agricultural and 1,766,000 ha is irrigable. Nepal has been able to provide irrigation facility to 1.43 million ha of land in 2017 although year round irrigation facility is available to only 35% of it. Of this, surface irrigation accounts for 57%, groundwater 31% and farmer managed irrigation 12%.

Water supply:

Nepal’s population stayed at 29.30 million in 2017 with an annual growth rate of 1.3 per cent. Water supply was available to 86% of the population and basic sanitation to 46% in 2017. Melamchi Water Supply Project coming in line soon is estimated to provide 170 million litres per day (mld) to 2.5 million water-thirsty population of Kathmandu.

Power supply:

Nepal has been able to generate 501 MW of power. Out of the peak demand of 1198 Mw in the past winter, 501 Mw of power was met internally, 468 Mw by import from India and 268 Mw by load management though for the coming years, the prospects are bright with the availability of almost 3000 Mw in 1921 with the completion of several projects now under construction coming in line including 456 Mw Upper Tamakoshi Hydro-electric Project. Besides, Government of Nepal has brought a Policy Paper to bring in line 10,000 Mw in 5 years and 15,000 Mw in 10 years.

“Manage Your Water Resources with Your Own Financial Resources.”

I have been putting stress on this theme in each and every forum while in government and outside. Though Nepal is rich in natural water resources, financially, it has been poor in the past. It has gradually been developing all sectors of its economy. Nepal has lately realized that irrigation infrastructure has to be developed with its own resources. Taking the lesson from the past, today Nepal is capable to finance even a showpiece Project like Bheri-Babai Inter-Basin Diversion Project where water rich Bheri River, a tributary of Karnali River, suffices water deficient Babai River emerging from the Siwalik Range connecting together by means of a 12.4 Km long tunnel. The Project when completed will provide the year-round irrigation to 51,000 ha of land in Banke and Bardiya districts and provide 48 Mw of hydro-power as a by-product. It is estimated to cost Rs 26.17 billion.
Nepal has already completed some key irrigation projects like Kamala, Banganga, Bagmati, Babai, Sikta etc. These range from small to medium size projects. Had they not been built with our own resources and depended on external resources, they would have never been built because all these projects had been built with great struggle facing stiff opposition from certain quarters. So the big lesson learnt is “Build Your Irrigation Projects with Your Own Resources.”

“Never Give Your Water Resources for Others to Manage.”

We have to develop our water resources ourselves taking the assistance and support where easily available. We cannot totally surrender our water resources in the name of co-operation. We can work together as equal partners to develop our water resources where the need and concern of each can be addressed not like in Koshi or Gandak Agreements where basic interest of only one country is covered. We cannot lament over what had happened in the past. In this context, Bhutanese Model is often quoted. We should understand first the Model itself. Here GOI has the free hand to manage the water resources of Bhutan providing technical and financial resources for the Model to work and giving the fringe benefit to Bhutan.

Bhutan is never an equal partner in such a deal though it is the provider of chief element-the Water Resources.

“If Your Stand is Correct You Will Always Prevail on others.”

Nobody can stop the judicious use of water in your own territory. India had raised always its concern on any irrigation project undertaken in Nepal be it small or medium project. As projects undertaken in Nepal for its use have not adversely affected the projects downstream in India, India after making its concern known for a few times stopped raising the issue again as it is futile.

Here is a very interesting episode of Babai Irrigation Project which was to be executed in Nepal under the World Bank assistance. Firstly, Government of India wanted to stop the Project saying that it affects its Project downstream when the Project being aided has no impact to India downstream. World Bank got verified the flow available at the Babai River at the Nepal-India border at different times to check if the diversion upstream really affected downstream. To its surprise, the same flow was available downstream even after diversion through recharge of water upstream at the Nepal-India border.

After that, it wanted to limit the quantity of water being used for the Project and no more withdrawal of water from the Babai River. This was detrimental to the cause of water right for the people living in the Babai River Basin. So Nepal did not want to create a precedence where its hands are tied in the use of water in its own territory and it did not agree to the World Bank’s proposal of limiting the use of Babai River water and consequently the aid package of $ 60 million to the Babai Project was withdrawn by the Bank. But that did not deter Nepal. Nepal went to construct the Babai Barrage and Irrigation System with its own resources.

This has been a great asset to Nepal without the burden of loan and a lesson for the World Bank that it cannot prevail on a wrong issue at the instance of others when it was fully aware that the Project Bank was financing had no adverse impact whatsoever to India.

“All Key Water Resources Projects need to be Made National Pride Projects.”

All key projects in the Water Resources Sector should be made National Pride Projects for their timely completion and satisfactory operation thereafter.

Need of Watershed Management:

For sustainable water Resources Development, watershed management plays a key role to provide continuous supply of water in the river-network. For this, all watersheds of important river basins are to be covered with forests with proper planning. This calls for concerted effort of all concerned Ministries and Government Departments to work together with co-ordinated approach.

Need of Multi-purpose Projects:

For the fast growth of irrigation development in Nepal, multi-purpose projects with irrigation and power components have to be developed together as in Bheri-Babai Diversion Project. Irrigation potential of 1.77 million ha of land has to be fully developed covering the cultivated land of 2.64 million ha with some irrigation for sustainable agriculture. Both irrigation water and agriculture activities have to be so coordinated that maximum output of agriculture product is achieved.

Need to Make Irrigation Projects Year-round:

Nepal needs to make its irrigation projects as much efficient as possible providing irrigation water to farmers year-round bringing in new techniques including conjunctive use of surface and groundwater where feasible.

Climate Change

In its strategy of water resources development, Nepal should always take note of the untimely and unprecedented floods and droughts occurring in the country as a result of Climate Change globally.

Thanks the author of the seminar paper and the AFCAN   friends who provided with the paper of this distinguished expert. Next week to begin with the second part of the same paper  on “Nepal India water relations”: Ed.