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Water Diplomacy Pandai river - Nepal vs India Quantum Wei
- 1. The Pandai River A “marginalized” river conflict on the India-Nepal border
- 3. Chitwan district, Province No. 3 n district: Upper riparian Mostly farmers Food + cash crops Maize + mustard
- 4. West Champaran district, Bihar State Bihar State • Lower Riparian • 90% rural • Poorest Indian state • Prone to flooding
- 6. Conflict on the Pandai • Uncertain & variable water supply • Increased demand on water • Decline of traditional institutions • Poor link between villagers and district/state governments • Joint Committee on Water Resources (JCWR) focuses on large rivers and projects
- 7. Lack of trust between villagers and government 2002 • Bihar government stops collecting land revenue from Bhiknathori • Indian Forest Department: Bhiknathori land lies within our jurisdiction • Villagers fear eviction by forest department 2005 • Bhikknathori villagers petition court for land revenue receipts 2010 • Bhiknathori village officially recognized by Bihar state
- 8. Failure to find another water source 1999 • Bihar government attempts to dig a tube well 2010 • “The [Bihar] government has floated a tender to buy a drilling machine to ensure regular water supply to the village.” 2013 • Tube well project started in June, projected to finish by September 2014 • “This will find a permanent solution to the irrigation problem for farmers of this area”
- 9. Recurring conflict along Pandai 2010 • January: Nepal Forest Dept. blockades Pandai • January 28: Local official proposes tanks, Nepal Forest Dept. Declines • “Tanks can’t be constructed officially w/o high-level dialogue between India and Nepal” • Informal negotiations w/ Nepal villagers • “You can fetch water until March 1” • March 25: Bihar provides water tankers to villagers • Only 3,000 L/day 2014 • “This permanent cause of dispute between the Indian and Nepali nationals could have been solved much earlier had this issue been taken up between the two bordering districts at the district magistrate level” 2017 • “On several occasions, when tensions have led to rioting and deaths, armed forces from both countries have had to intervene.”
- 10. Water conflict at the village scale Chitwan Villagers Bhiknathori Villagers Border Guards Local governments Country Nepal India India – Sashasta Seema Bal (SSB) Nepal – Border Security Guard India – West Champaran District, Bihar State Nepal – Chitwan District, Forest Department Position “The Pandai is Nepal’s Water” Prior use, Natural right to water Stop fighting! “Refrain from unlawful activities on the border” Interests • Access to water • Flooding • Access to water • Flooding • Sediment transfer Peace on the border • Livelihood of residents • Deference to national governments Action Taken • Built dams • Dams removed w/o notice • Clash w/ neighbors Mediation between villagers • Blocked access to Pandai • Water tankers • Attempt to dig tube wells
- 11. “Tanks can’t be constructed officially without high-level dialogue between India and Nepal”
- 13. India and Nepal – Contentious Border • 1950 Indo-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship • Open border between Nepal and India • Challenges • Damaged/missing boundary pillars • Shifting borders
- 14. India and Nepal – Territorial Disputes
- 15. India and Nepal – Territorial Disputes • 1816: Treaty of Sugauli establishes Gandak river as international border • 1816-1941: 913 boundary pillars erected to mark border on land • Gandak has shifted over the past 200 years • 2014: “98% of our boundary with Nepal has already been agreed but we need to provide a political impetus to resolve the remaining issues”
- 16. Steps towards agreement at national level • India Nepal Boundary Working Group (BWG) • Annual meetings since 2014 • Have yet to address territorial disputes • Indo-Nepal Joint Committee on Water Resources (JCWR) • Seven meetings between 2000-2013 • Focus only on major rivers and dams
- 18. Intervening stakeholders • Border guards • Trusted by community • Intervene in case of violent disputes • Summer 2017 – convinced villagers to split river into three channels to share • The Shared Watercourses Summit – Nov. 19, 2017 • “Towards improving governance of shared watercourses in South Asia” • 88 participants from both countries
- 19. Bhiknathori is at a big disadvantage Consider the upstream riparian’s BATNA. What’s the BATNA for Bhiknathori villagers?
- 20. Ways to increase Bhiknathori’s power Shawahiq Siddiqui • Continued dialogue w/ Nepal • Economic study on Pandai ecosystem • Improved local governance • Unilateral action?
Editor's Notes
- Gandak River Basin- Pandai river is so small it doesn’t show up on maps, very little information Dozens of villages rely on it for home use and farm irrigation (at least 40,000 people rely on the Pandai) March – June (pre-monsoon) – Low flows June- September (monsoon season) – Flooding Gandak – Major river between 500-30000 m^3/s Average – 2000 m^3/s
- Chitwan District: Nepal GDP - 730 USD 2000 km^2 600,000 Mostly peasant farmers cultivating food and cash crops (lots of maize + mustard)
- West Champaran: 5000 km^2 4 million people Bihar State: 3rd most populated state in India, 13th largest by area 90% live in rural areas 58% under age of 25 Densely populated, least urbanized, young, most prone to flooding Lagging economically – lowest GDP per capita of all Indian states – 520 USD Largest producer of vegetables in India, second largest producer of fruits 80% of population employed in agriculture Good soil and climate, but flood may drain fertile soil Accounts for 1/5 of Indian population affected by flooding Extensive damage to human life, homes, crops, and livestock
- District government has sent water tankers to 10 villages (total pop. 40,000) Bhiknathori - at least 5,000 residents No water supply
- Residents of Bhikhnathodhi try to remove a barrier put up by people in Nepal to hold the water of the Pandai river.
- Sashasta Seema Bal (SSB) – India Conflict increasing due to population growth, more livestock, “unsustainable agriculture” May 2010 - tankers provided Distrust between Bhiknathori villages and their local government 1998 – Bihari state attempted to dig a tube well – didn’t go anywhere 2002 – Bihar government stopped collecting land revenue from village. 2005 – petition to court for land revenue receipts Jan 22 2010 – Bhiknathori villagers barricaded from Pandai by Nepal Forest Dept. “we’re building a park, this is Nepal’s property” Jan 28 2010 – Proposal to construct tanks (one on Nepal side, one on Indian side) to supply water to Bhiknathori Permission denied by Nepal Forest Dept. – “tanks cannot be constructed officialy w/o high-level dialogue between India and Nepal” Informal negotiations: “You can fetch water until March 1 March 25 2010 – Tankers provided by Bihar government (3000 L/day) tender floated to buy a drilling machine Bihar also accepts village as being on its revenue map June 2014 – “Being a hilly region of the district, normal tube wells are often not successful in this part of West Champaran. ” “Narkatiaganj sub-divisional magistrate Vijay Pandey said a drive in that area to get rid of the problem with sufficient number of tube wells was started at Thorhi in June last year.” May 2017 – “villagers have clashed, leading to riots and deaths.”
- Jan 22 2010 – Bhiknathori villagers barricaded from Pandai by Nepal Forest Dept. “we’re building a park, this is Nepal’s property” Jan 28 2010 – Proposal to construct tanks (one on Nepal side, one on Indian side) to supply water to Bhiknathori Permission denied by Nepal Forest Dept. – “tanks cannot be constructed officialy w/o high-level dialogue between India and Nepal” Informal negotiations: “You can fetch water until March 1 March 25 2010 – Tankers provided by Bihar government (3000 L/day) tender floated to buy a drilling machine Bihar also accepts village as being on its revenue map June 2014 – “Being a hilly region of the district, normal tube wells are often not successful in this part of West Champaran. ” “Narkatiaganj sub-divisional magistrate Vijay Pandey said a drive in that area to get rid of the problem with sufficient number of tube wells was started at Thorhi in June last year.” May 2017 – “villagers have clashed, leading to riots and deaths.”
- Sashasta Seema Bal (SSB) – India Conflict increasing due to population growth, more livestock, “unsustainable agriculture” May 2010 - tankers provided Distrust between Bhiknathori villages and their local government 1998 – Bihari state attempted to dig a tube well – didn’t go anywhere 2002 – Bihar government stopped collecting land revenue from village. 2005 – petition to court for land revenue receipts Jan 22 2010 – Bhiknathori villagers barricaded from Pandai by Nepal Forest Dept. “we’re building a park, this is Nepal’s property” Jan 28 2010 – Proposal to construct tanks (one on Nepal side, one on Indian side) to supply water to Bhiknathori Permission denied by Nepal Forest Dept. – “tanks cannot be constructed officialy w/o high-level dialogue between India and Nepal” Informal negotiations: “You can fetch water until March 1 March 25 2010 – Tankers provided by Bihar government (3000 L/day) tender floated to buy a drilling machine Bihar also accepts village as being on its revenue map June 2014 – “Being a hilly region of the district, normal tube wells are often not successful in this part of West Champaran. ” “Narkatiaganj sub-divisional magistrate Vijay Pandey said a drive in that area to get rid of the problem with sufficient number of tube wells was started at Thorhi in June last year.” May 2017 – “villagers have clashed, leading to riots and deaths.”
- Gandak River Basin- Pandai river is so small it doesn’t show up on maps, very little information Dozens of villages rely on it for home use and farm irrigation (at least 40,000 people rely on the Pandai) March – June (pre-monsoon) – Low flows June- September (monsoon season) – Flooding
- “Nepalese and Indian nationals may move freely across the border without passports or visas and may live and work in either country.” 2014 – 8000 pillars to mark border 640 in rivers 1240 missing on land
- BWG – restoration and repair of boundary pillars collaboration on technical tasks
- How much influence does Bhiknathori have within the West Champaran district? Bihar state? India?
- traditional community institutions were able to come up with a sharing formula in the time of water crisis stop getting in the way of local governance Nepal villages have a strong BATNA India will probably have to bribe them But More access to funding Panchayati raj