India duly raised the issue with Nepal and twice in the last three years joint official level meetings were convened. But the Nepalese officials abstained from both the meetings. India thereafter informed Nepal that the Lotan-Rasiaval Khurd earthen embankment being built by it in Siddharthnagar district would never threaten to inundate any area across the border. According to a statement issued by the External Affairs Ministry in New Delhi, at present 1.8 km of embankment, including two of the proposed six regulators have been built from Rasiaval Khurd to village Kandhauli. The average height of this embankment is 2.2 metres. In fact, at some places it is only one metre high. Each regulator allows 1,000 cusecs of water to pass, a good discharge capacity. No part of the present construction, nor any part of the proposed embankment, can cause flooding in Nepal. This has been verified by an official representative of the Nepalese government who visited the site on August 9, 2001. He found that there was absolutely no flooding on either side of the constructed portion of the earthen embankment.

    As for the Lumbini linkage, New Delhi has said that any attempt to establish a link between the embankment and the birthplace of Lord Buddha is mischievous. It is at best the figment of imagination of vested interests. Lumbini, in fact, lies 12 km north of this embankment. The ponding effect, if any, could not reach even a fraction of this distance. Lumbini’s elevation is at 93.5 metres above mean sea level while Rasiaval Khurd is at an elevation of 90-91 metres above mean sea level. The river Kunhra, called Danav in Nepal, lies in between Lumbini and Rasiaval Khurd. This embankment, as stated earlier, is only 2.2 metres high on an average. It is evident from this that Lumbini cannot be affected in any way by this localised construction. These facts, if understood in proper spirit, should clearly establish that perceptions about inundation risks to Nepal from the Lotan-Rasiaval Khurd embankment are totally misplaced.

    Even so, in the best interests of the two friendly neighbours, New Delhi has agreed to the Nepalese Government proposal to stop further work on the earthen embankment where four regulators are yet to be built. This had been done forthwith from July 10,2001.

    Notwithstanding all this, vested interests in Nepal have persisted with their malicious propaganda against India. The External Affairs Minister, Shri Jaswant Singh, utilised the opporunity of his visit to Kathmandu in the third week of August this year, to remove any misapprehensions on this score. He assured the Nepalese authorities that the construction of the bund south of Lumbini does not threaten the historic place, declared as a world heritage site by UNESCO, either with flooding or submergence. After all, he told his interlocutors there, the birthplace of Lord Buddha is as sacred to India as it is to Nepal.

    Shri Jaswant Singh’s firm assurance and the visit of the Nepalese government official to the Lotan-Rasiaval Khurd embankment being build by the Uttar Pradesh Government to see for himself that there is no inundation threat by it are expected to nip the mischievous propaganda in the bud. The stoppage of work on the embankment until the matter is finally sorted out is proof of India’s bonafides.

    Shri Jaswant Singh’s visit was meant to further consolidate ties between the two neighbours who enjoy traditionally close and friendly relations characterised by extensive social and people-to-people contacts. Yet, he used the opportunity to sort out the matter of adverse trade impact on India as a result of dumping of third country goods in India utilising the Nepalese route. The third country products finding their way into Indian markets mostly originate in China. Malaysian palm oil coming to India via Nepal has resulted in the closure of oil mills in eastern and north-eastern India.

    India also wants to reduce import of certain Nepalese products as well. These include iron and galvanised iron pipes, copper wire, acrylic yarn and vegetable ghee, among others. New Delhi’s case is that their heavy import from Nepal is adversely affecting Indian industries in border areas. India hopes that all these problems will be sorted out before the five-year Indo-Nepalese Trade Treaty comes up for review by the end of this year. Technical delegations from both sides are scheduled to meet shortly. Shri Jaswant Singh was confident after his visit that the delegations would resolve trade issues to mutual satisfaction.

    Another important mission that took the External Affairs Minister to Kathmandu related to India’s security concerns arising out of the use of the Nepalese territory by ISI agents and other outfits manouvred by third countries. The hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight from Kathmandu to Kandahar in Afghanistan is still fresh in memory. Shri Jaswant Singh assured the new dispensation in Kathmandu that New Delhi stood committed to the principles of sovereign equality and respect for each other’s sensitivities and aspirations. On its part India expects that Nepal too cared as much regarding its concerns and anxiety about the use of the Nepalese territory by foreign outfits to create bloodbath in this country. The growth and spread of the ISI network in areas bordering Nepal is another cause for worry.

    Shri Jaswant Singh used the opportunity of his meeting with King Gyanendra and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to brief them on India’s security concerns. Later, he expressed satisfaction over the firm assurance received from His Majesty’s Government that no inimical activities against India would be tolerated by Nepal and that it would check them by all means.