RIDICULOUS HANDLING OF WATER RESOURCES
My Humble Effort to Make a Few Corrections
AB Thapa
In 1970s the construction of the Kulekhani High Dam Project was about to begin. I had horrible suspicion that the geology of the Kulekhani dam site area could be problematic. I published an article about that in the newspaper “ The Rising Nepal”. Some other local and foreign newspapers also carried partially the content of my article shortly thereafter. That news was very seriously taken up by the World Bank and our government. Much later on, I learnt that I was even going to be charged with criticizing the government decision The case was dropped, when few of my colleagues stepped in to plead on my behalf. It is said that extra concrete grouting works and other measures were taken up to protect the river bed and the terraces just adjacent to the dam to ensure safety. Despite such limited measures, few years after the completion of the Kulekhani dam news came out of the blue that very wide cracks have already developed over an wide area adjacent to the intake structures on the right bank. It was the result of poor geology of the dam site. Indeed, the Kulekhani dam was on the verge of collapse.
Basis of My Prediction
My prediction about the geology of the Kulekhani site was based on my study of general characteristics of hydropower projects implemented in high hill regions. The study was a small part of my thesis for which I was awarded Ph.D. in 1966 in former Soviet Union. The main part of my Ph.D. thesis, however, was devoted to development of a new theory on hydraulics to be applied in design of underground hydropower. Prof. G.I. Krivchenko was guide to my Ph. D. research. Prof. Krivchenko had published the new ideas developed in my Ph.D. thesis including the updating in Russian language technical journal Hydrotechnical Construction in July, 1985. Immediately thereafter in 1989 American Society of Civil Engineers had included the findings published in the hydrotechnical journal in its Design Guidelines 1989, which is a document universally used for the design of hydropower station. This guideline book is used by engineers of our Water Resources Ministry also. It is available in Water and Energy Commission library.
An Ironic Twist To The Story
The misgivings I had about the poor geological conditions turned into the most grave reality. At that time I was heading the monitoring section of the Water Resources Ministry. Dr. John Cooper and Mr. Deepak Gyawali from WECS had visited the Kulekhani dam site to spend the weekend. They were shocked to find that the Kulekhani dam was at the risk of being washed away. We got the full reporting from them It was feared that at any time in near future a very big portion of the right bank terrace along with the intake structure could plunge into the reservoir setting in motion a huge big mass of the reservoir water to overtop the dam. In a similar type of Vajont dam incident in Italy, the loss of life was significant even though the dam was left standing after the overtopping because it was a concrete dam. However, the whole project was rendered useless after that incident. In case of the Kulekhani dam made of earthen core the whole dam body would be completely washed away after the overtopping.
I had to play the lead role on behalf of the ministry in expediting the civil works to save the Kulekhani dam Leading experts from the USA, Australia and Japan were called in for consultation shortly thereafter. On their recommendations works such as the clearing of large volume of weathered materials, anchor bolting of huge masses of rocks to prevent sliding into the reservoir, provision of underground drainage system were carried out. Timely intervention on a massive scale helped to avert Kulekhani dam disaster.
Prime-Minister G.P. Koirala and Kosi Project
Nepal and India had reached an agreement to conduct detailed study of the Kosi High Dam Project in course of Prime-Minister G.P. Koirala’s visit to New Delhi about 15 years ago. The joint communiqué issued at the end of the visit made reference only to the Kosi Dam Project. Nobody in the Nepalese team visiting Delhi and even those in Nepal could have ever imagined that there is a direct link between the Kosi Dam Project and other two projects, viz. Sun-Kosi Dam Project and the Navigation Canal Project. The idea of Kosi canal waterway had not even been conceived. The Kosi Dam Study Agreement had aroused at that time a lot of controversy within the Water Resources Ministry.
Salt And Oil Supply Would Be Shut Off
I raised the Kosi dam issue within the Water Resources Ministry to emphasize categorically that under no circumstances the Kosi Dam Project study should be allowed to be dissociated from the study of the above mentioned other two projects. My firm stand on the Kosi dam issue even angered many of my colleagues within the ministry. Some of them were charging me how dare I overrule the decision of the two prime ministers by obstructing to conduct the study of the Kosi Dam Project. Some of them were saying that I was acting foolishly to anger our southern neighbour. They considered that my suggestions were highly provocative and Nepal might be forced to face dire consequences. As a result, salt and oil supply to our country could be shut off.
Finally, my firm stand on the Kosi dam issue paid off. My concept to conduct simultaneously the studies of the Kosi Dam Project, the Sun-Kosi Dam Project and the Navigation Canal Study was at last endorsed with great reluctance. It was agreed to be made the agenda for the joint meeting of the representatives of the governments of Nepal and India Nobody in our government had truly believed that my concept of the proposed study would stand the slightest chance to be approved by both the countries. Despite such reservations of my colleagues in the ministry, I succeeded in convincing representatives of the Government of India to accept my concept in a bilateral negotiation held in Kathmandu in 1997. Many people in our Government and also in media were greatly astonished when they learnt that India has endorsed Nepalese proposal. Some of them were not ready to believe that India would have accepted Nepal’s proposal for conducting the studies of the Sun-Kosi Dam Project and Kosi Canal Waterway and thus they did not hesitate to oppose the 1997 Indo-Nepal Accord on Kosi study. It took them quite a long time to be convinced that the 1997 Indo-Nepal Accord on Kosi Study was genuinely in the interest of Nepal. However, quite a few might still be in confusion about the significance of the proposed study. I had prepared on my own fairly extensive special reports on the Sun-Kosi Project, Kosi Dam Project and the Kosi Canal Waterway without spending a single dime of the government money. Those reports were prepared well ahead of the joint meeting to explain the new concept of the above described three projects. Those documents are in the WECS library.
Outcome of the 1997 Meeting
There was not much discussion about the scale of the Kosi High Dam Project in the 1997 Indo-Nepal Kosi Study Meeting. Nevertheless, both sides knew perfectly well that the Kosi High Dam Project is going to be one of the biggest in the whole world. The following three key issues were raised in the meeting. They were the Kosi flood control, Sun-Kosi Dam Project and Kosi navigation canal. India agreed to accept our proposal on all three issues.
Until the 1997 meeting the Indian Government was seen to be drifting away from the facts that it is absolutely indispensable to provide storage dams in the basin to prevent the Kosi flood disaster. The Indian Government was saying that the Kosi flood control problem has already been resolved after the completion of the construction of embankments on both sides of the Kosi River. . So right at the outset of the meeting held in Kathmandu to finalize the Kosi Study Agreement, I had to give a brief presentation on Kosi flood problems. The presentation was quite helpful in explaining our viewpoint on Kosi development. Later on in course of discussions the leader of the Indian team expressed off the record that from that time on they are fully convinced of the fact that the biggest benefit to accrue from the Kosi development would be the flood control
The study to construct the Kosi High Dam is now firmly tied up with the provision of a navigation canal about 165 km long, and out of it a 120 km long section of such navigation canal would be in Indian territory. The proposed navigation canal would be linking Nepal with the seaport through Ganges, Bhagirathi and Hoogly rivers
It has been almost explicitly agreed that the commencement of the construction of the Kosi High Dam would be contingent upon the prior implementation of the Sun-Kosi High Dam Project on technical grounds. The Sun-Kosi High Dam Project, regarded to be benefiting almost exclusively Nepal, prominently figured in the talks to finalize the 1997 Kosi Study Agreement. Indian side had wanted somehow to exclude the Sun-Kosi Dam Project from the Kosi development study. They did not want to get bogged down into the relatively big Sun-Kosi Dam Project Ultimately the Indian side was convinced that it is no more possible to sideline the prior implementation of the Sun-Kosi Dam Project despite the fact that it would be a project to serve almost exclusively Nepal. They were clearly explained that the Kosi Dam Project and the Sun-Kosi Dam Project would be mutually exclusive if the Kosi High Project is implemented first. They fully realized the fact that the construction of the Kosi dam would be further delayed if the construction of the Sun-Kosi Dam Project is not completed in time. As a result, the Indian side even agreed to provide financial assistance to carry out expeditiously the detailed study of the Sun-Kosi Dam Project also.
Water Resources Ministry’s Horrifying Decision
Two prime-ministers, one of them the present Prime Minister of Nepal Mr. G. P. Koirala, had signed an agreement to conduct detailed feasibility study of the Kosi dam project which is expected to be one of the largest multipurpose water resources projects in the whole world. The project is considered indispensable to save the life and property of millions in Nepal, India and also Bangladesh. It is also proposed to provide as a component of this giant project a navigation canal linking Nepal with the Ganges waterway. Such canal will help to connect our country with the seaport. The project is expected to provide enormously large irrigation and power benefits also.
Unfortunately our Ministry of Water Resources does not seem to realize the extent of the damage to entire nation if the Kosi dam project is not handled with great care. At present one wing of the Ministry of Water Resources and Indian experts have started to conduct jointly the detailed study of the Kosi project. At this very time to the great horror of everybody another wing of the same Water Resources Ministry without the slightest hesitation is busy to devastate the proposed Kosi dam project by allowing a private developer to conduct detailed feasibility study to implement the Lower Arun Project. Ministry of Water Resources knows perfectly well that the Kosi Dam Project and the Lower Arun Project are mutually exclusive.
