Dharan, September 17:

For the past four months, the proposed Saptakoshi High Dam Multipurpose Project is lying on the backburner because of a fiat issued by the pro-Maoist Kiranti Rastriya Morcha, which has said it would not let any work of the project be done without its consent. The Kiranti Morcha has said that the government will have to take the consent of locals there before launching any scheme.

Alleging that the government did not take the consent of people there, the Morcha has forbidden any project in the locality and has said that the government must prioritise Kirants for employment in the project work.

The Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the 3,000 MW hydro-power project was approved after a study by the Indian and Nepali governments jointly in 1981. The project also has plans to irrigate at least 1.5 million hectares of land.

The height of the high dam is estimated at 261 metres and is expected to help control floods in east Nepal and in Bihar state of India.

The governments of both countries had agreed in 2004 to implement the dam project and work on the DPR started in September that very year. However, political agitations in Nepal since 2005 put the project in limbo and the two countries have agreed to resume work in 2008.

Engineer DP Mathuriya from the Indian side, at the Dharan office of the project, said only 35 per cent of the work on the project has been completed. He added it was unlikely that the project would be completed within the stipulated time.

However, chief of the Nepal-India joint project Saptakoshi and Sunkoshi committee, Surendra Man Bajracharya, said he was hopeful of the project getting completed on time adding the government was aware of the rights and aspirations of the Kiranti organisation.