Jhalari, September 2:

A team comprising representatives of the political parties and technicians inspected the Tanakpur barrage and claimed that it is safe, refuting media reports that there was a risk of breaching of the barrage on the Mahakali River.

The Ministry of Water Resources had directed the Mahakali Irrigation Division No 8 Office to inspect the dam and report back after media reported that the river embankment was on the verge of collapse.

Chief of Mahakali Irrigation Project Office Chanchal Singh Bista, who was also in the inspection team, said they have reported back to the ministry that there was no threat to the embankment.

The team said although a minor crack was seen in the embankment on the Nepali side some 200 metres from the barrage, India had already repaired it.

The technicians said that even though water was seeping through the base of the embankment since last year, there was no risk to as such to the embankment.

Similarly, representatives of the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML, who were also in the

team, said the embankment was safe.

The team included regional director of the Far-west Irrigation Project Sarbadev Prasad, Chanchal Bista of Mahakali Irrigation Project and Krishna Prasad Subedi of the Far-west Irrigation Division.