Itahari, September 30:

Bid to find lasting solution.

A nine-member joint team of high-level officials of Nepal and India today made an on-the-spot inspection visit to the site of the embankment breached by the Saptakoshi river with a view to finding out a permanent solution to the Koshi problem.

One of the members of the team and head of the Eastern Regional Irrigation Directorate (ERID) Kamal Regmi said that secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources Shanker Koirala and secretary of Water Ministry Umesh Panjiyar led the Nepali and Indian team, respectively.

Indian envoy to Nepal Rakesh Sood also was also one of the participants of the team.

The team inspected the site where the spurs were breached by flooding in the river on August

18 and human settlements, inundated by the flood. The team also inspected the other spurs in the north of the main breached site and acquired information on the progress of the work.

Similarly, the team inspected the proposed Koshi high dam site, head of ERID Regmi said.

“During the visit, they also held discussion on the construction of the barrage at Chatara.”

The high-level officials of the both countries interacted with the Indian technicians, involved in the construction, over the progress of the works in changing the Koshi River to its original course and the ways to find a sustainable solution. Technicians told the team that a three-and-half kilometers pilot channel, out of a total eight kilometers, has been completed to divert the river into its original course to the west and a portion of the river has already returned to its original course.

According to the information the technicians feed the team, a total of 1,200 workers and six excavators are working daily to construct a channel for the same cause.

Secretary at the Ministry of Water Resources, Shanker Koirala, said that they are confident the visit would help find a sustainable solution to the Koshi problem.