Foundation Laying of India-Nepal Link Canal Master Project. In 1996, the Governments of India & Nepal signed a bilateral agreement called the “Mahakali Treaty”.
Highlights:
♦ According to the treaty, the Indian government will supply 70 MU of energy generated from the Tanakpur Power Station each year, and construct the main pipe and a 1.2-kilometre-long Indo-Nepal irrigation canal that takes off from the Tanakpur Barrage to release a predetermined amount of water.
♦ The Indo-Nepal Link Canal project includes the construction of the main pipe on the left bank of the existing Tanakpur Barrage and directing its water to the irrigation canal to Nepal.
♦ The Mahakali Treaty is a treaty between India & Nepal that involves sharing the waters of the Mahakali River.
♦ The treaty is mainly aimed at the comprehensive development of water resources in the Mahakali River and has been completed on the basis of an equal partnership.
♦ Mahakali originated in Nepal and formed a considerable distance between the two countries. The treaty recognizes the Mahakali River as the border river between the two countries.
♦ The scope of the treaty includes Sarada Barrage, Tanakpur Barrage and the proposed Pancheswar project.
♦ Starting from Sarada Barrage, the treaty gave Nepal 28.3 cubic centimetres (1,000 cubic feet) of water during the rainy season and 4.25 cubic meters (150 barrels) of water during the dry season. If Sarada Barrage is unavailable, the quantity will be provided from Tanakpur Barrage.
♦ In addition, the treaty also instructs that no less than 9.91 cubic meters (350 cubic feet) should flow downstream of the barrage to maintain and protect the river’s ecosystem.
♦ Although the treaty is being implemented, the implementation process is still very late.
Tanakpur Power Station:
This is a Hydel power station located in Tanakpur near Banbassa, District Champawat, Uttaranchal. The capacity of Tanakpur Power Station is 94.2 MWe. The first unit was put into operation in 1992, and the last unit was put into operation in 1992. It is operated by the National Hydropower Corporation (NHPC). Utilize the hydropower potential of the Sharda River (Mahakali River in Nepal).
