India, Nepal to discuss flood, river projects at bilateral meeting in Kathmandu

Patna: The joint committee on Kosi and Gandak Projects (JCKGP) of India and Nepal will hold its 11th bilateral meeting in Kathmandu, Nepal, from May 1. The two-day meeting will focus on critical issues related to flood management, irrigation, and operational coordination of the transboundary river projects. Discussions on advance flood forecasting mechanisms for rivers originating in Nepal and flowing into India are scheduled for the second day.According to a communiqué issued by the state water resources department (WRD), the meeting will deliberate on resolving long-pending issues regarding flood security, strengthening irrigation arrangements, and ensuring effective regulation of the Kosi and Gandak projects. These projects are crucial for Bihar, which faces recurring floods due to its river systems.The WRD will be represented by a nine-member delegation of senior officials and engineers led by principal secretary Santosh Kumar Mall. A five-member team from the Union jal shakti ministry, along with representatives from the ministry of external affairs, will participate on behalf of India. Officials from Nepal will join their Indian counterparts for detailed technical and administrative discussions.Key issues concerning the Kosi project include security in the project area, maintenance of infrastructure, erosion along embankments on both sides of the Birpur barrage, and regulation of gates in the western Kosi canal. Other concerns include maintenance of service roads in Nepal, removal of encroachments, safety of project personnel, and challenges posed by the presence of a wildlife sanctuary in the region.For the Gandak project, discussions will centre on unauthorised occupation of acquired land, waterlogging in agricultural fields due to drainage obstructions, maintenance of water discharge and canal water levels, flood protection measures, and anti-erosion work.The regulation of silt-laden water flow and upkeep of service roads will also be taken up.Officials said the resolution of these issues has become urgent as they pose significant hurdles to Bihar’s flood control and irrigation efforts. Another important agenda item will be the sharing of real-time data on rainfall and water levels from Nepal through an application programming interface (API), which will enhance Bihar’s flood forecasting system.The meeting is expected to strengthen India-Nepal cooperation in managing shared river resources and mitigating flood risks in the region.