Pokhara – Opposition to the Kaligandaki Diversion Project is growing louder by the day. Concerned groups have openly taken a stand against the project, citing threats to the civilization, culture, religion, and natural environment of the Gandaki Province’s principal river, the Kaligandaki. On Wednesday in Pokhara, the Kaligandaki Gyanbigyan Pratisthan, submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Surendra Raj Pandey of Gandaki Province, clearly expressing their opposition to the diversion plan.
The Pratisthan’s chairman, Shankar Prasad Pandey, stated,
“This plan is not just about diverting water; it is a plan to erase a civilization.”
The meeting concluded with serious concerns, asserting that the Kaligandaki–Tinau Diversion Project will severely impact the environment, culture, religion, and local ways of life. According to Pandey, they are even willing to sacrifice their lives to prevent the diversion from happening.
“We are ready to die, but we will not let this river die,” he said firmly.
A Sacred River Under Threat
The Kaligandaki River is regarded as extremely sacred in Hinduism. The project aims to divert its water by constructing a dam in Pipal Danda, channeling it through a 27-kilometer tunnel to Dobhan in Palpa’s Tinau region. From there, another 7-kilometer tunnel will be constructed to carry the water to Belbas. At that site, two hydropower plants of 54 and 72 megawatts respectively will be developed, and the remaining water will be used for irrigation in the Terai plains.
The project is not new. It was first conceptualized in 2008/09 (2065–66 B.S.), and after the completion of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) in 2020 (2077 B.S.), it was included in the government’s budget. The total estimated cost is more than NPR 138 billion.
Controversy From the Beginning
The project has been controversial from the outset. Local representatives, environmentalists, religious leaders, and residents living along the Kaligandaki banks have all argued that this is destruction disguised as development.
On Baisakh 13 (April 25), a community gathering held at Uttarvahini in Rambha Rural Municipality–1 unanimously demanded the cancellation of the project. They also called for the Kaligandaki to be declared a “National River” and urged that it be proposed for inclusion in UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites.
The memorandum presented reads:
“The spiritual merit gained from a single dip in the Kaligandaki cannot be matched by bathing in a hundred rivers around the world. How can permission be granted to dry up the source of such a river?”
The Issue Reaches the Supreme Court
The dispute escalated to the Supreme Court in 2021 (2078 B.S.), when lawyers filed a petition against the Kaligandaki–Tinau Diversion Project. The petition claimed that the project violates the spirit of federalism, infringes on the rights of provincial and local governments, and serves Indian interests.
Initially, the court issued an interim order to halt the project. However, a joint bench of Justices Dr. Kumar Chudal and Binod Sharma later dismissed the petition.
The court stated:
“It is inappropriate to place legal obstacles in the way of development projects that are based on national interest.”
Nonetheless, the court did instruct that environmental assessments, local participation, and the long-term impacts of the project must be considered with specific conditions in mind.
