By Khem Bhandari

The issues of Pancheshwor and Mahakali rivers were suddenly raised only the exact ten days before Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal’s visit to India. But the issues became opaque and calmed down due to the strong opposition of Maoists. Before bringing down the curtain on the serious talks-demanding national agenda of Pancheshwor, just some days earlier of it, Public Account Committee of the Legislative-Parliament pushed back the implementation of West Seti Hydropower Project after raising a serious question on the clause of the project’s agreement draft.

What sorts of changes the projects- Pancheshwor and West Seti, capable enough to change the face of Nepal, could bring in the condition of  far-west region which is facing the problems of scarcity and backwardness due to the disregard and discrimination of the state, it is needless to describe. All the possibilities are being set aside in the name of ‘transitional phase’ while India, confronting extreme challenges of irrigation and scarcity of 15 thousand Megawatt in its North and West-North Regions,  had at last reached the mood of taking advantage of Mahakali Treaty. The process of West Seti, active from about two decades ago, has been obstructed and is being made uncertain by creating various obstacles.

The subject would be different if the far-west region, with the most cultivated and plentiful possibilities, had been curtailed from the usage of its resources and its potentialities to consume only by the attitudes of Kathmandu to view and behave the far-west region. But the main problem is the slave mentality of the people who represents far-west regions. It is depressing scenario that no-one, whether they are the people who constructed magnificent buildings by winning the votes of far-west or the people who introduced themselves ‘of being far-west’ whenever they have to obtain opportunity, never spoke on the topic while Pancheshwor and West Seti were being attacked in the name of so-called national concerns.

In politics to bureaucracy and technology to trade-business, in today’s national scenario, people born-grown in far-west region have influential presentations. According to the calculation of working periods, Lokendra Bahadur Chand and Sher Bahadur Deuba of the region became prime minister for half dozen occasions. Far-west has been securing well and powerful ministries in every cabinet reshuffle. Representing only 8 per cent of the country’s total population, far-western people in the police and military services have notable numbers of officers with high ranks and supreme posts. In bureaucracy too, people representing far-west region are densely present even in secretary level of the state. From the constitutional bodies to corporations, far-west has been producing and sending numbers of experts with leading levels.

But, due to the noise pollution of Kathmandu, light of the power and passive humiliation, veterans licking shares of far-west know nothing more than founding ‘bargaining’ forums for the sake of far-west. Because of the people who erect building in Kathmandu by their straight-curved ways of earnings and their disappearing like once in a blue moon, far-west has been restricted from the possibilities of the immediate and pipeline projects- Pancheshwor and West Seti. The queue might be in secret preparation to obtain high ranks and influential roles in the projects for the days ahead but now they are also remained in the participation of the possibility-termination-game.

Without caring reasonable extents and natural negotiation and demonstrating artificial concerns over the so-called nationalism and nation, actions are being performed according to the grand design of keeping all possibilities of far-west in shadow. Nationalism cannot be defined forcefully. If flexibility in conscience and relavity in its quality are not the defined in nationalism, it will rather take place of blind nationalism. The matter of using West Seti and Mahakali rivers is being gradually held by nationalism and thoughtless concerns over the nation. 

West Seti after constucting the project with the costs of about 300 billion and after earning the same amount in 25 years, it will fill up the project for the national asset. There will be different income calculation of the project after 25 years when it comes under the ownership of the government. But the game is being performed in Kathmandu with the intention of making far-west people eat only the fish of Seti river for 25 years. Similarly, on the other side, water of Mahakali is flowing down continously. Every  year, water with the value of more than 50 billion is going to waste. The people, without the capability of arranging irrigation for 10 Bigha land, are echoing their slogans of half water resources from their stay in Kathmandu.

It is not the ill-intension of make them looted or present their everything. It must be ensured the rights and entitlements of Nepal to West Seti and Mahakali. But in the name of doing the same, the attitude of creating problems after problems and intentionally hesitating to show the flexibility of reasonable extents is bad. The latter question raised by the Account Committe is reasonable. West Seti should be run under the laws of Nepal and Nepal should not be forced to replace for the obstructions which might come due to the transitional phase. Problem has not created by Account Committee but by the so-called environmentalists and nationalists’ negative mentality. Those who do not have greed for the river water flowing vainly but have concerns over the unreleased electricity. Which is good- producing 80 Megawatt electricity from separate powerhouse and selling 750 MW electricity to India or water of Seti river going to waste for three decades more from now?

Let’s move Pancheshwor forward if we want to switch electricity in the daytime too. Let’s consume 3500 MW electricity of our part and switch the power for 24 hours. Let them allow to sell the electricity to India excluding 80 MW. These statements is to say- learn to focus on the positive aspects of the possibilities, developments should be made multi-dimensional. Either Nepal should be clear to buy the electricity produced by West Seti or the government itself should be able to make such projects. Private sector should also come in front. What will be the meaning for not giving alternatives and only bursting weep and cry? What is the guarantee that SMEC will wait for 50 years more? Or SMEC is not liked? Shall we start to calculate the amount of water going to waste from Seti river during this very point of opaque possiblities created by the plentiful problems and obstacles?

Ecologically positive and effective resettlement plan are not the only attraction of West Seti. The increment of economic activities in far-west along with the construction of the project is also enticing issue. People dying of starvation are not noticed, but the concerns over the habitat of the river’s fish ! Not a sign of sympathy for the people of basin area including Thalara after seeing their wretchedness, spreading the word of cultural displacement ? Without the capability of producing any single Watt electricity and aborting the possibilities of free of costs 80 MW power-house and entrance of millions  rupees annually in the country? What the anti-West Seti groups has been trying to prove, it is difficult to understand.

Similarly, on the other side, it is difficult to understand the equal rights advocates of Mahakali river. In Pancheshwor project, Nepal’s investment is set to 39 per cent, but the demand of electricity and water is of fifty-fifty ! Advocates of equality should be able to say clearly- Nepal will also invest in 50 per cent ratio and make fifty-fifty as its part not only electricity but also in the case of water. How can one be ascertain for the use of conscience while they forget the universal principle of ‘return according to the investment’ and demand equal rights? And it is ridiculus attitude to say Mahakali is common river in one time and for the next time to see the conspiracy when India tries to use it. If Nepal move forward with the plan to use the half water of the Mahakali river, there will be a development of different movement. It would be better to know the capabilities to make 3 KM canal within 13 years to bring the part of our 1000 Q/Sec water from Tanakpur. Isn’t it obvious that India said ‘No’ when asked to make a canal to bring us water from Tanakpur?  It is being frightened the people by showing the huge amount of 135 billion US dollar to invest in Pancheshwor from the side of Nepal and converting all the possibilities of the usage of Mahakali river into shadow. How it will be if those concerned people of Mahakali river attempt in the campaign of collecting that amount? Dozens financial companies of the world will be ready to invest in the projects of certain returns.That big amount certainly as equal as the Nepal’s budgets for 25 years. But, Pancheshwor is not the matter to be built in a single night.It takes at least ten years and during this period, fund raising initiatives can be taken for this project as the national mission. What the planning officials of Kathmandu sitting inside the magnificent and air-conditioned chambers can do for this issue, people should understand. There is no reason to hesitate while blaming that the investment raising issue is guided by the ill-intention of stopping the usage of Mahakali to abort the Pancheshwor project because there is no single work accomplished to search the potentiality of the investment.

And there is lack of writers to write for the two projects- Pancheshwor and West Seti. Opponents are raising controversy in an unnatural level. This is happening because there will be chance of being notoriously renowned by the title of treacherous of the nation if spoken for the project while strong voices are casting shadow on the positive aspects of these projects. But, truth is always truth. The projects related to India have been attacked by not only the empty nationalism but also by political egotism. As Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal had spoken earlier, we should have to search the market of water  resources in the neghboring countries until the microwave technology will not be invented to produce electricity. India is the biggest nearby Market because Nepal is landlocked in three direction of India. Not realizing such realities, whether it be in rage of declining the government or in the relation of petro-mafia, it is improper to throw the positive aspects of possibilities in the dust-bin.

West Seti and Pancheshwor, at first, should be viewed by the vision of far-westerners. Had it been opened the blindfold on the eyes of far-westerners residing in Kathmandu, the door of possibilities would have been easily opened. Unfortunately, even people with posts, influence and access are not being able to postmortem the play which is being performed in the name of nation and nationalism with empty but ill-intentioned obstacles. Now nationalism should be practical, the concerns of nation should be focused on scarcity and meagerness and should be talked about West Seti and Mahakali rivers with the same viewpoints.
 
(Bhandari is  Mahendranagar based journalist)Note: The write-up is unofficial translation from the original write-up carried by the Kantipur daily earlier. The translation was done for wider-circulation aim international audience/readers.