Although it is called a country rich in water resources, its use in Nepal is very low. Where water resources are available, it is not possible to use them, while there is a lack of water resources in necessary places. On the one hand, farmers are facing severe shortage of water in winter and on the other hand, large amount of water resources are unused.

Therefore, a multi-purpose inter-watershed water transfer project is necessary to maximize the use and benefit of water resources. Such projects divert water from watersheds with sufficient water availability to watersheds with water shortages. They help to manage water resources, provide irrigation facilities throughout the year, address energy security through electricity generation, stabilize underground water levels by recharging underground water storage, and also help to get touristic and environmental benefits. Through this article, it is tried to explain the multifaceted use of water resources available in the country and the development of multi-purpose projects, which can be an integral part in the journey of prosperity. 

Import-export imbalance is burning. In 2080/081, more than 22 billion worth of rice and 256 billion worth of agricultural products were imported. Therefore, it is necessary to emphasize on increasing agricultural production and productivity by providing sustainable and reliable irrigation facilities to all arable land throughout the year. Also, import substitution of existing agricultural products is indispensable to ensure food security. Of the total 35 lakh 57 thousand hectares of arable land, 25 lakh 36 thousand hectares are irrigable, currently irrigation infrastructure has been developed in 15 lakh 70 thousand hectares. Out of the total irrigated area, only one-third of the irrigated land has irrigation facility throughout the year. Similarly, despite the great potential of hydropower production, considering the sad situation of producing only around 3,100 megawatts, it is necessary to create a source of sustainable income by building large-scale hydropower projects to increase domestic consumption and support industrial expansion. The available water resources should be coupled with tourism to contribute to the economy along with livelihoods. In addition to this, multi-faceted use of water resources is inevitable by building large and multi-purpose inter-basin water transfer projects to strengthen the economy.

The Department of Water Resources and Irrigation has reached various stages of study and construction of the inter-watershed water transfer multi-purpose project identified by the recently approved irrigation master plan with the aim of achieving multiple benefits from water resources. Feasibility studies of some have been done while some have entered the construction phase. Construction of Bheri Babai Diversion and Sunkoshi-Marin Diversion is in progress. Similarly, Naumure multipurpose project (including Kapilvastu diversion), Tamor-Chisyang diversion, Sunkoshi-Tawa (Kamala) diversion, Kaligandaki-Tinau-Madi-Dang diversion multipurpose project, pre-feasibility study and environment study are being done.

Kaligandaki-Tinau Diversion

Kaligandaki-Tinau Diversion Multi-Purpose Project is an important project among inter-basin water diversion projects. Through this project, water from Kaligandaki will be released into Tinau river. The water is intended to irrigate 1 lakh 7 thousand hectares of fields in Rupandehi and Kapilvastu for twelve months. 126 megawatts (1,000 gigawatt hours per year) of electricity will be extracted from the said water, and it will help in recharging the underground water table of Rupandehi and Kapilvastu and keeping the underground water level stable. This is the only option as no other source is available to provide round the clock irrigation facility for Rupandehi and Kapilvastu. The implementation of this project will increase agricultural production and contribute to food security, increase in income at the local level will help raise the standard of living, create jobs at the local level and help reduce the growing trade deficit of the country. 

The petition filed in the Supreme Court against the implementation of this project was dismissed. During the feasibility study of the project, the detailed environmental study was not completed and the writ was filed. The cancellation of the writ has put an end to the doubt that the development process of the inter-watershed water transfer multi-purpose project, an important dimension of Nepal's water resources development, will be blocked.

Efforts were made to publicize that the project will affect the religious places of Syangja, Palpa, Tanahun and Nawalparasi on the lower coast from the dam site as well as Devghat, which is about 120 km from the proposed project site. The project has been proposed in such a way that enough water flows from the project during the rainy season and at least 20 cubic meters per second of Kaligandaki water flows continuously even during the dry season. When reaching Devghat from the dam site, the small streams of Syangja, Palpa, Tanahun and Nawalparasi and Andhi Khola Jagdi Khola, Keladi Khola, Maidi (Malay) Khola, Nisdi (East) Khola, Damara Khola, Baudi Khola, Deusad Khola and other big rivers join. Therefore, even added, about 35 cubic meters per second of water flows continuously from Kaligandaki to Devghat area, which is more during monsoon. After arriving at Devghat, this project does not seem to affect Devghat from a religious point of view, as the Narayani River will be formed after Trishuli joins with Kaligandaki.

When the Kaligandaki river floods, the Shaligram flows only during high flows. Due to the relatively clean and little water in Kaligandaki during the dry season, the Shaligram does not flow. In Kaligand's Tinau Diversion Project, a gated barrage is constructed instead of a high dam. In the barrage, the silt, sand, gravel, and stones brought by the river to be equal to the level of the river bed are constructed so that they can be flowed. During the rainy season, the gates of the Under Sullis are kept open and the silt, sand, gravel, stones, saligram flowing through it can easily flow down to the river below the dam. Also, the gravel, sand, and gravel brought by the river with a size larger than 20 mm are mixed in the river at the bottom of the barrage in the settling basin and Shaligram is not transferred from the water transfer tunnel.

The silt, sand, gravel, stones brought by the river all flow in the river. As only clean water is taken from the diversion tunnel of the project and whatever comes from the upper bank of the river is sent to the lower bank, no process of Shaligram will be interrupted or there will be no obstruction in the flow of Shaligram due to the diversion project. It does not seem reasonable to say that this project will affect the flow of Shaligram in the context that the Kaligandaki-A hydropower project is operating above the proposed project and it has not interrupted any process of Shaligram.

Since there are various religious and cultural diversity in Nepal, some civilization, religious faith and belief are connected with the entire river system or diversion project. The project should be carried forward respecting those issues. The project should be taken forward by managing the religious places like Khuwalung civilization on Koshi river, Triveni Dham, Parashuram Dham in Mahakali.

It is said that when the water of Kaligandaki river is taken to Tinau, it becomes completely dry from Ramdi to Devghat and water is not available for various uses in the lower coastal area. Instead of taking all the water from the river to Tinau, the project is proposed so that a minimum of 20 cubic meters per second of water will flow forever from the dam site for environmental use during the dry season when there is low water in the river and for other uses in the lower coast in the future, and only a maximum of 82 cubic meters per second will be taken during the rainy season. From the proposed location of the project, the water from the Andhi river hydroelectricity, Jagdi river, Keladi river, Maidi (Malay) river, Nisdi (East) river, Damara river, Boudi river, Deusad river and other small rivers also mix. Champakottar, Rampurtar, Atrauli Puttar, Bhotahatar, Dedhagaontar, Nayatar, Valayatar, Kalikatar and other large tars on both sides of the river from the dam site to Devghat are irrigated by local rivers. The project is proposed to release the water needed to irrigate the remaining arable tar in the river. Since irrigation can be developed in the potential irrigable areas on the lower coast, the necessary water can be managed in the lower coastal areas. During the environmental study of the project, such needs will be identified and arrangements will be made to release the necessary water, so the study could not be completed, and these arguments only delayed the development of the project.

The Kaligandaki-Tinau diversion project has become a subject of political controversy and inter-provincial conflict. Unnecessary controversy seems to have surfaced on the need for consensus among all political parties for the development of such projects, which are considered the backbone of economic development.

Advantages of water resources development

Inter-watershed water transfer projects are mostly connected to two provinces. Although the water diversion is from one province, it seems that its benefits will be in another province. For example: In Bheri-Babai diversion, although the entire structure and powerhouse for diverting water from Bheri to Bhabai are in Karnali province, the irrigation benefits are obtained in Lumbini province. In Sunkoshi-Marin diversion, the structure of the main diversion project remains in Wagmati province, but the entire irrigation benefit is in Madhesh province. The construction of such large inter-basin water transfer projects should be viewed from the perspective of taking advantage of the overall available water resources. Union and state should consider the interests of the larger nation while making policies, laws and developing projects. If such projects are to be made the subject of disputes or conflicts between the provinces, the Nepali people will surely question the legitimacy of such provinces. Without understanding the depth of such multi-purpose projects, it should not be a subject of unnecessary controversy and political maneuvering.

In terms of achieving sustainable development by using the available water resources in Nepal, such multi-purpose inter-basin water transfer projects can prove to be a milestone. A lot of time, manpower, patience and resources are required as the feasibility and detailed studies and environmental studies of large projects take a long time and the construction work is also complicated. If the detailed study and environmental impact assessment of the project is not completed, social, religious, cultural disputes as well as territorial conflicts in such projects may lead to delays in the development of the project. Since a large budget has to be managed, there is a situation where it is necessary to prioritize and adopt various investment patterns and gradually take it to construction. Instead of creating various disputes and delaying the project development, better technical and environmental studies should be done. Therefore, it is inevitable to give priority to water resource development in order to achieve maximum benefits for multi-faceted utility.