BY BECHU GAUD NAWALPARASI, July 2 - The Indian side has not yet supplied water at the Gandak command areas in the district, as per the agreement reached with the Nepali side last week.

According to the agreement between Indo-Nepal (Border District) Coordination Committee on Thursday, the local Indian authority had agreed to supply 300 cusecs water at the Western Gandak Canal on Nepal's side. So far, the Western Gandak Canal has been receiving only 100-150 cusecs water, which is barely enough to irrigate less than 50 per cent farmland at the Gandak command areas.

Of the 19 VDCs at Gandak command areas, nine villages are yet to receive water supply, said Hader Ali Momin of Western Gandak Canal Irrigation Water Users Association.

This is not the first instance, locals here alleged, of India's non-compliance to agreement regarding Gandak Canal. They said even in the past, the Indian side had disregarded the agreements to address the plight of farmers and Gandak flood victims.

The Indian side had agreed to fulfill 12 of the 21-point demand pressed by the Gandak flood victims in three phases after the agitators shut down the Indian canal and staged a sit-in for one month.

Meanwhile, the Narayani Rivier has flooded hundreds of bighas of land at Pakalihawa VDC. Dozens of villages in the district are affected by flood due to the overflow of water at Gandak barrage every year.

Source: The Kathmandu Post, July 3, 2008