India-Nepal agree to resolve border dispute
India-Nepal agree to resolve border dispute
B.D.Kasniyal
Pithoragarh, Dec 7
The Indian and Nepalese officials today agreed to resolve the issue arising out of stone pelting by some miscreants from Nepal on India workers constructing a protection wall on the bank of river kali which forms the International boundary between the two countries on Sunday.
According to officials, the Nepalese officials agreed to remove the debris, deposited on the Nepalese side of river Kali, in 10 days time from today. The debris was causing hurdles in the construction of protection wall on the bank of the river on Indian side.
Some miscreants from Nepal had hurled stones on Indian workers from across the border on Sunday in a bid to stop the work on the Indian side at Dharchula in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand . This incident provoked tensions between people of both countries. The Indian traders and locals as a mark of protest against the stone pelting closed the bridge for two hours of Monday which connects both the countries. The incident also forced officials to hold talks to resolve the issue.
The protection wall which has been built was aimed at protecting Dharchula town from floods during monsoon period. Nepal had already constructed the protection wall in its’ side and the Indian authorities were also starting the construction on its’ own side which was opposed by some elements in Nepal. They feared that the protection wall on Indian side would inundate the Nepal side of the river bank during rains and floods and were opposed to the construction wall on Indian side.
A worker was injured on Sunday as some miscreants threw stones from Nepal, Dharchula SDM Divesh Shasni said on Monday. The Nepalse police resorted to lathicharge on those indulging in stone pelting in which an Indian trader , who was on the other side for some work, also got injured.
“We have called tenders and the work of removing debris would start in 10 days time from today,”said Deerghraj Upadhayay, Chief District Officer, Darchula (equivalent to District Magistrate in Indian administration system) today. Darchula is the nepalse district across Dharchula town of Pithoragarh district .
The meeting of Indo -Nepal border coordination committee was held at NHPC guest house in Dharchula today. Besides the top district officials of both the countries, several subordinate officers also attended it.
According to Pithoragarh District Magistrate Reena Joshi, Nepalese officers also agreed to take legal action against those Nepalese elements who hurled stones on Indian workers involved in the construction of protection wall some days ago.” We have also sought assurance from the Nepalese officers on non-repetition of such incidents in future,”said the Pithoragarh DM.
She further said that the Nepalese officers demanded that debris be cleared by Indian contractor when constructing the protection wall. They feared that it could lead to damages on Nepalese side during monsoon.” We have informed them that our agency is removing debris simultaneously while construction of protection wall along Indian side.
India is constructing protection wall along banks of River Kali at Dharchula town from January 2022, to protect the town from floods during monsoon period.” After Nepal has already constructed protection wall on its’ own bank of the river, India also has right to give safety to its’ citizens against the floods of river Kali,”said Bhupendra Singh Thapa, President of Traders Union of Dharchula town.
