The discussion focused on the conservation of the Mahakali River and the issues of coastal communities. Representatives of NGOs from Nepal and India participating in the dialogue expressed their commitment to institutionalize the achievements of the project and continue the program in the coming days.
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The 'Mahakali Dialogue' has been held in Dadeldhura, focusing on the common problems of the communities along the Mahakali River flowing between Nepal and India, river conservation and future action plans.
The dialogue was organized on Wednesday in the Dadeldhura district headquarters to discuss the achievements, review and continuation of the South Asian Border Rivers Community Utilization (TROSA-2) project, which has been in operation since 2017, in the context of its final phase.
According to Amar Bahadur Saud, Executive Director of the Rural Women's Development and Unity Center (RUDUK), Dadeldhura, the 'Mahakali Dialogue' is a common platform to raise common issues of the communities living in the coastal areas of the Mahakali River in Nepal and India. 'The dialogue was organized with the objective of bringing together development partner organizations, community representatives and stakeholders from both countries to find solutions to common problems,' he said.
The dialogue was attended by organizations including Community Rural Development Society (CRDS) in Darchula, GDS, Oxfam, Ruduk in Dadeldhura, and National Environment and Equity Development Society (NIDS) in Kanchanpur from Nepal, while Cedar in Dehradun and various organizations from Uttar Pradesh from India participated in the dialogue. The program mainly discussed measures to measure the water quality of the Mahakali River, clean the river, and protect it.
According to Saud, water testing has been conducted twice a month by forming a group at the community level. He said that work is being done to test the river water with the active participation of women and to collect data and advocate for its protection based on that.
An awareness campaign has been conducted at the community level to prevent the increasing pollution in the river and not to mix sewage and garbage. Saud also said that people have been encouraged to use methods such as boiling, Piyush, Water Guard, and Sodis to make water safe.
The dialogue also emphasized strengthening the early warning system between Nepal and India to reduce the risk of annual floods in the riverine areas. It is reported that a mechanism for exchanging information between security agencies, administration and communities in the border area has been developed and discussions were held to make it more effective.
Dadeldhura Chief District Officer Bishnu Prasad Koirala emphasized that relations between Nepal and India should always remain cordial. He expressed his belief that such dialogues would further strengthen the mutual relations between the two countries, noting that there are many similarities in customs, behavior, religion and culture between Nepal and the bordering Indian community.
The program has also prioritized initiatives related to livelihood. Access to irrigation and drinking water has been expanded through lifting technology to solve the problem of fields remaining barren in the upper reaches despite the water flowing along the river banks. This is said to have helped local farmers increase their production and earn income.
Kamala Devi, the head of the Dharchula Gram Panchayat in India, said that awareness has increased at the community level after the project was implemented in Dharchula since 2024. According to her, 27 women's empowerment groups are active for the proper use of the water of the Mahakali River.
Meanwhile, Ram Bahadur Bohara, ward chair of Bhimdatta Municipality-13 in Kanchanpur, expressed gratitude for the support of NGOs in the work to be done by the local level. He said that the role of such organizations is important in instilling the habit of drinking clean water in rural areas and spreading awareness about sanitation.
Khagendra Bahadur Singh, ward chair of Parshuram Municipality-6 in Dadeldhura, said that the expected investment in the agriculture sector could not be made due to limited budget. He mentioned that more initiatives are needed to solve the problem of fields remaining barren due to lack of irrigation even though water is flowing on the banks of the river. He also said that organizing activities like cremation in the Mahakali River would help maintain water purity. According to Dr. Krishna Kumar Shrestha, National Director of Ruduk, as the Trosa-2 project is nearing completion in 2026, preparations are being made to run a community-based program to continue its achievements. He informed that water quality is currently being tested regularly at 18 locations. Representatives of NGOs from Nepal and India participating in the dialogue have expressed their commitment to institutionalize the achievements of the project and continue the program in the coming days. The ‘Mahakali Dialogue’ has concluded that cooperation between the two countries will be strengthened for the protection, cleanliness and improvement of the living standards of the coastal communities.
