Nepal and India have become embroiled in a new diplomatic row after Nepalese citizens threw stones at Indian nationals on the order’s side of the border over dam construction on the Indian side.

Sunday’s incident resulted in injuries to four Nepalese nationals, including a minor.

Locals in Khalanga, Darchula’s district headquarters on the Nepalese side, had protested vigorously against India’s unilateral construction of a dam to divert the flow of the Mahakali River.

The angry locals fear that their settlement could be endangered by the embankment.

They had called for an immediate stop to construction work.

In Kathmandu, the Interior Ministry has written a letter to the Foreign Ministry urging them to raise the matter with the Indian side regarding the incident.

The Indian side has taken up the case and stated that some citizens were also injured when stones were thrown and called for action to be taken against the perpetrators.

“Mahakali is a border river. If the structure at the border affects the other side, such unilateral work should stop immediately,” said Rajan Bhattarai, head of CPN-UML’s International Relations Department.

“What is happening in Mahakali should be stopped immediately and an agreement reached through bilateral talks on the matter so that the bank of the river is not altered. Since this is a federal government matter, the center should take the initiative,” Bhattarai said.

On Monday, officials from Nepal and India discussed Sunday’s incident.

According to Darchula Dirgha Raj Upadhyay’s Chief District Officer (CDO), both sides have agreed not to build the dam in a way that would result in a loss for either side.

“The two sides agreed not to build a dam immediately at the point where the dispute broke out, but only at the place where there was no dispute,” Deputy CDO Hemanti Saud said.

The meeting was attended by security chiefs and political party representatives from the Nepalese side, while the discussion team from the Indian side included additional district and subdivision judges.

The Indian side installed a gabion mesh some 7 to 10 meters from where the dam was under construction.

The Nepalese side requested the Indian side to remove it immediately.

–IANS

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