Various ethnic fronts affiliated to the Unified CPN (Maoist) have renewed their warning against the Detailed Project Report (DPR) works of Koshi high dam, Wednesday.

Organising a press conference in Itahari Wednesday representatives of 15 Maoist ethnic fronts including Limbuwan, Tamang, Newa, Tamu, Dhimal, Sherpa, Kochila, Muslim, Madehi, Magar, and Muslim, among others urged the concerned people to immediately stop the work of preparing DPR for the project.

Expressing dissatisfaction for defying their earlier warning, leaders of the ethnic fronts said, they would retaliate if the the DPR work is not stopped soon.

A team of Maoists including some Constituent Assembly (CA) members had visited the DPR site in Ahale of Dhankuta on Saturday and asked the people there to stop work immediately.

The DPR works had resumed on Sunday with the presence of security forces.

Leaders of the ethnic fronts alleged the DPR works were being carried out unilaterally without taking the locals into confidence.

Addressing the press conference, coordinator of joint ethnic front  Kochila State northern region  Muksahan Meyangbo said, the DPR on Koshi High Dam is the result of unequal treaties between Nepal and India in the past. He also claimed the DPR preparation without a national consensus would be against ILO 169 and the spirit of the interim constitution.

Koshi high dam project aims to construct a 269 metre high dam and produce over 300 MW electricity and also use the water for irrigation.

A joint Nepal-India office has been set up in Biratnagar for the project.

The Maoist ethnic fronts have announced they will submit a memorandum to the foreign ministry through the district administration offices in Sunsari, Morang and Jhapa if the DPR works are not stopped immediately.

We will not let the DPR continue at any cost, said Meyangbo. nepalnews.com