India-Nepal flood management needs course correction

Context: India and Nepal need to re-establish water cooperation as a common cause and draw inspiration from the 1950s.

Need for re-establishing water-cooperation between India and Nepal

• Continuing humanitarian crisis: 76% of the population (more than 5 crore people across border) and 73.06% of the land area in north Bihar faces the recurring threat of flood devastation. 
• Geographical factors across borders: 65% of catchment area of cross-border rivers falls in Nepal/Tibet.
• Worsening environmental concerns: 
  • On account of climate change the total are affected and severity of floods witnessed rise over past decades.
  • Drought: Ironically, the same flood-affected regions also face issue of drought and a sinking water table.
• Policy neglect:
  • Kosi Treaty of 1954, under which the embankments in Nepal were established and maintained. 
  • But due to lack of active government support, water cooperation between two countries waned over years.
  • Nepal believes that India is reaping the benefits from all projects that were taken up in the past.
  • Use of water resources for hydroelectric generation remained the only policy focus.

Conclusion: Course correction is needed to re-establish water cooperation as a common cause and draw inspiration for joint action from the 1950s.