Rajbiraj, August 31 Journalists from Nepal and India have pledged to write about problems faced by victims of the Koshi River. The journalists pledged their support after meeting victims who have been staging a relay hunger strike near the control room of the Koshi Barrage for the past 15 days. During the meeting, Koshi River Encroachment Inundation Victim Struggle Committee Senior Assistant Coordinator JyotiJha asked journalists of both countries to exert pressure on their respective governments to fulfil their demands. “Decades after the Koshi Agreement was signed, we haven’t received any compensation as mentioned in the agreement. We, therefore, urge you to help us by exerting pressure on your respective governments to meet our demands,” Jha said, adding there were plans to intensify the protest if their demands went unheard. The journalists expressed their concern about the plight of victims and promised to help them. While Federation of Nepali Journalists central member AwadheshJha led the Nepali journalists, Bihar representative of India Today TV Kaushal Kumar led Indian journalists to the protest site where victims affected by the river, from Saptari, Sunsari and Udayapur had started indefinite hunger strike since August 17, putting forth three-point demand. Their demands include compensation for the land used during construction of the Koshi Barrage, compensation for damage done by floods in the river to their crops and farmland and full implementation of the Koshi agreement. The agitators have said they will continue their agitation until their demands are met. On July 29, the struggle committee had sent a memorandum to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, through the District Administration Office, requesting him to address their demands. “We were very hopeful that the PM would address our concerns after receiving the memo. As nothing happened, we had to resort to agitation,” said the Koshi Victims Upliftment Society Secretary GhanashyamJha.