Thursday, February 15, 2018

Electricity Act in Nepal’s Interest

After Government of Nepal (GoN) registered Electricity Bill 2008 in parliament, it was tabled for discussion only in 2011 and MPs were asked to register amendment proposals if the Bill required any amendment. The response was overwhelming: there were one hundred forty-two (142) proposals for amendments. In the normal course both the Bill tabled by GoN and amendment proposals registered by MPs should have been thoroughly discussed in the parliament and Electricity Act should have been promulgated after incorporating amendment proposals accepted by the parliament. But GoN chose not to go through with the process and abandoned the Bill resulting in its “stillbirth”.

This scribe too had prepared 44-point amendment proposal and succeeded to get it registered in the parliament by MPs representing Nepal Workers and Peasants Party, CPN (Maoist), Rashtriya Jana Morcha and Rashtriya Prajatantra Party in order to ensure that the legislation is in Nepal’s interest. The 142 amendment proposals are inclusive of these 44-point amendment proposal drafted by this scribe.

The Bill tabled by GoN was not in Nepal’s national interest and GoN became irked with the attempt to ensure that it is in Nepal’s interest bafflingly and chose not to have the legislation promulgated at all. Apparently the Bill was based on a draft prepared by an Indian organization.

History
In late 1980s, wishing to invest in Khimti project, Norwegians studied relevant laws of Nepal and found it wanting. Then a team of Norwegian legal experts came to Nepal on the auspices of Norwegian government and studied relevant Nepal law in force, after which the team submitted its report to GoN including a draft Khimti Act, which would have been instrumental in encouraging Norwegians to invest in the said Khimti project. The establishment of the time (politicos and bureaucrats) felt that it is not appropriate to promulgate one specific Act for one project and promulgated Electricity Act 1992 instead, based in draft made for Khimti project but after some tinkering and tampering with it. This Act was said to be based on Water Resources Policy, 1992.
Within 2 decades of coming into force of Electricity Act, about 450 MW hydropower was added to the system; public sector and private sector contributing almost equally. In 8 decades from 1911 (when first power plant in Pharping was commissioned) less than 240 MW was added to the system. It is clear that this Act succeeded to attract private sector investment in hydropower generation, which was exclusive domain of public sector till promulgation of Electricity Act.

Improvement in Electricity Act
This scribe was assigned a 3-month study to suggest improvements in the Electricity Act from the perspective of private investors in early 1998. After 3 months, he presented 4 working papers in a workshop in June 1998, the report based of which was furnished to GoN through FNCCI. GoN effectively thwarted the effort of more than a decade to improve the Act and also to ensure that it is in national interest.

Currently prevalent Electricity Act requires many improvements to ensure that it is in Nepal’s interest. Due to space constraint only a few important points are discussed in this article.

Multidimensional Uses of Water
While contemplating generation of energy from water, it should not be lost sight of the fact that water has multidimensional uses. There are many sources to generate energy, ranging from clean/renewable to unclean/un-renewable. Whereas, there is no alternative to fresh water (e.g. it is not possible to irrigate with saline water which is available aplenty in the world). Multidimensional uses of water are as follows:
• Drinking water and sanitation – by achieving water security, untimely death due to water borne diseases can be reduced, including reduction of expenditure on medicine and medical treatment by half that the country’s economy has to bear;
• Irrigation – to achieve food security by intensive cropping to preclude death by famine and starvation, including substantial mitigation of balance of trade and payment deficit by reducing import of food products;
• Animal husbandry and fishery – to avail nutritious food items and also to mitigate balance of trade and payment deficit to an extent by substituting imports thereof;
• Energy generation – to ensure self reliant energy security (water is required even to generate nuclear energy);
• Recreation – for water based tourism, inter alia rafting;
• Navigation – Nepal can transform into water linked country from landlocked one;
• Water based industries – including export of mineral water; and
• Cultural and traditional uses.

Comprehensive Assessment of Alternatives

In view of the fact that water has multidimensional uses and most of such uses are competitive in nature, conscious decision must be made before deciding to put water to any specific use at any site on any stretch of any river. For this purpose comprehensive assessment of all possible alternative uses must be made prior to deciding to put water to a specific use. In such assessment, possibility of production and use of hydrogen in near future should not be ignored (with further development of technology related to its storage and transportation, hydrogen will soon become affordable), in order to afford an opportunity to Nepal to enter into hydrogen economy.

If the decision is to generate hydropower, possibility of generating peak power by putting up a reservoir should be explored instead of run of the river (RoR), which produce more energy in wet season when demand is low and less in dry season when demand is high resulting in mismatch of supply and demand. It is a well-known fact that peaking power plant produces better quality electricity in higher quantum besides generating lean season augmented flow of fresh water. In this context Upper Karnali and Tamor projects are bad examples.

Moreover, reservoir projects should be made multipurpose, which helps control flood in rainy season in lower riparian areas and generate lean season augmented flow. Budhi Gandaki project is a bad example due to failure to make it multipurpose, which for example would have enabled lower riparian districts of Nepal like Chitwan, Nawalparasi, Bara, etc. to increase cropping intensity with water becoming available in the dry season, leading to prosperity.
In order to ensure that new enactment for the purpose is in Nepal’s interest, it should clearly stipulate that decision to harness any site should be made after making comprehensive assessment of alternatives and should make it mandatory to choose reservoir project, where feasible, which should be implemented as multipurpose project.

Objective of Electricity Generation

Self reliant energy security for Nepal should be the principal objective of electricity generation, including to displace imported fossil fuel, which would help (1) reduce balance of payment and trade deficit, (2) reduce cost of transporting people and goods and (3) reduce environmental pollution. Thus, liberation of Nepal from dependency on imported energy sources should be prime aim of such an enactment.

Self reliant energy security entails availing energy produced in Nepal to all sectors inter alia agriculture, industry, transportation, tourism, health, education, ICT, etc. and for urban, semi-urban kitchens to supplant LPG with electricity and eventually to displace firewood from rural kitchens. Ensuring access to electricity to all people of Nepal should be the prime goal.

Nepal is suffering from high trade deficit due to ever increasing imports and dependency syndrome is gaining stranglehold over the economy. On the one hand, industries are not provided requisite electricity forcing them to operate at around 50% of the capacity. On the other hand, industrialists are not able to start new industries for lack of electric energy. Aim should be to encourage establishment of industries to substitute import and to promote export by supplying ample electricity at affordable rate. It is noteworthy that, at the moment, Kathmanduites are enjoying liberation from load shedding at the cost of industries.
Similarly, electricity in adequate quantum at reasonable rate should be provided to industries that process agricultural produce, herbs, minerals, etc. and for cold storage, factories producing agricultural implements, fertilizer, etc. Energy security cannot be achieved without displacing diesel pumps with electric pumps used for irrigation.

New electricity law can only be in national interest if it succeeds to achieve self-reliant energy security by breaking dependency syndrome on imported sources of energy, including fossil fuel (it will not be possible to cease to be dependent on imports for aviation fuel for obvious reasons, though).

License Procedure
The licensing procedure under prevalent Electricity Act needs to be streamlined as follows:
• No license for electricity generation should be issued if Nepal stands to benefit more by putting water to alternative uses at any particular site of any river;
• License should be issued with an eye on optimization of benefit to Nepal from the watershed and river basin;
• License should not be issued only from the perspective of optimization of installed capacity from available head and flow from engineering perspective only, at the cost of irrigation of additional land in future, in both upstream and dewatered areas. With increase in population, more land will have to be brought under cultivation and cropping intensity will have to be increased, requiring water for irrigation;
• License should be issued on competitive basis in transparent manner to ensure availability of electricity at least cost to nation;
• License should not be issued to applicants without financial capability, including requisite credibility to mobilize debt funding. License should only be issued against bank guarantee covering 10% of the project cost. At the moment, brokers are able to hold licenses to peddle with prospective investors;
• Since ownership of the project devolves to GoN after the license period, design life of the plant needs to be specified to ensure that GoN can operate it without problem for at least a decade after handover and directives regarding construction, repair and maintenance standards have to be issued.

Export of Energy
Even without aiming to displace fossil fuel, Nepal is grappling with energy crisis. Issuing license for export-oriented project in such a backdrop is outright stupid. Therefore, no license should be issued for export-oriented projects till Nepal achieves self-reliant energy security.

If for any special reason, license has to be issued for an export oriented project, it should be subjected to parliamentary ratification as stipulated in Sub-article (1) and 2(d) of Article 279 of present Constitution, which specifies that agreements for division of natural resources and their use should be ratified by the parliament. It should not be forgotten that GoN issuing a license also amounts to an agreement.

In this interdependent world, it is not possible to avoid export and import of energy. It is but logical to export excess energy and import to meet deficit. However, energy should not be exported for profit maximization of the private sector; it should be done in accordance with nation’s need.

Downstream Benefit
Main weakness of prevalent Electricity Act is its silence with regard to sharing benefit of lean augmented flow. Basically it is silent with regard to mechanism for recompense for the cost of negative externalities and sharing benefits of positive externalities. Inundation and involuntary displacement are negative externalities and flood control and lean season augmented flow are positive externalities.

It is unconscionable to give away positive externalities free of cost, as Nepal has to bear huge cost, inter alia opportunity cost in terms of lost agricultural produce and forest product for more than half a century due to submergence of Nepal’s territory. Even Koshi and Gandak treaties have no provision to recompense GoN for such opportunity cost; there is provision to recompense to GoN for lost land revenue only.

Therefore, license for reservoir projects should be issued for the installed capacity with an eye on consumptive use of lean season augmented flow in lower riparian areas of Nepal. If India wishes to receive lean augmented flow, installed capacity of the license can be increased on the condition that she is committed to pay for such benefit. Optimization of Budhi Gandaki at 1,200 MW was a blunder, without receiving any commitment from India to pay for lean season augmented flow.

Conversely, if a project like Budhi Gandaki is to be implemented that allows India to enjoy downstream benefit, parliamentary ratification of it should be made mandatory after negotiating with India as to recompense mechanism for benefits of positive externalities that India would enjoy.

Published in People's Review on February 15, 2018

Ratna Sansar Shrestha, FCA

Sunday, February 11, 2018

आवश्यकताः नेपालको हित अनुकूल विद्युत ऐन

विद्यमान विद्युत ऐन २०४९ प्रतिस्थापनार्थ विद्युत विधेयक २०६५ संसदमा दर्ता गरिएर छलफलको लागि टेबल भएपछि यसमा संशोधन आवश्यक भएमा सांसदहरुबाट प्रस्ताव आह्वान गरेकोमा १ सय ४२ प्रस्तावहरु दर्ता गरिए । यी छलफलोपरान्त विधेयकमा आवश्यक परिमार्जन गरेर विद्युत ऐन संसदबाट पारित गराउनुको सट्टा गर्भमै तुहाईयो । यस पंक्तिकारले उक्त विधेयकलाई नेपालको हितअनुकूल बनाउन अत्यावश्यक ४४ बुंदे संशोधन प्रस्ताव मस्यौदा बनाएर नेमकिपा, नेकपा माओवादी, राष्ट्रिय जनमोर्चा र राष्ट्रिय प्रजातंत्र पार्टीका केहि सांसदहरुमार्फत संसदमा दर्ता गरिएका प्रस्तावहरु पनि उक्त १ सय ४२ प्रस्तावमा समाबिष्ट थिए ।

स्तम्भित पार्ने कुरा के हो भने उक्त विधेयकलाई राष्ट्रहित अनुकूल बनाउन खोज्दा विधेयकै तुहाईयो ! विधेयक राष्ट्रहित अनुकूल थिएन, संशोधन गरेर राष्ट्रहित अनुकूल बनाउने प्रयास सरकारलाई पाच्य भएन ! उक्त विधेयक एक भारतीय संस्थाले मस्यौदा गरेर ऐनकोरुपमा पारित गर्न सरकारलाई दिईएको भन्ने चर्चा स्मरणिय छ ।

इतिहास
खिम्ती आयोजनाका प्रवद्र्धकले नेपालमा नीतिगत तथा कानुनी व्यवस्थाको अभाव रहेको अनभूति गरेकोले नर्वे सरकारको आर्थिक सहयोगमा नर्वेका कानूनविदहरुको टोलीले नेपाल भ्रमण गरेर अध्ययनोपरान्त खिम्ती आयोजना निर्माणार्थ खिम्ती ऐन नामकरण गरेर एउटा विधेयक मस्यौदा सरकारलाई बुझाएको थियो । तर तत्कालिन सरकारले एउटै आयोजनाकोलागि छुट्टै ऐन बनाउनुको सट्टा त्यहि मस्यौदामा हेरफेर, तोडमरोड गरेर सन् १९९२ मा विद्युत ऐन २०४९ जारी ग¥यो, जलविद्युत नीति २०४९ मा आधारित ।

ऐन कार्यान्वयनमा आएको २ दशकमा ४ सय ५० मेगावाट भन्दा बढी जडित क्षमताका जलविद्युत आयोजनाहरु निर्माण सम्पन्न भएकोमा सार्वजनिक र निजी क्षेत्रको योगदान लगभग बराबर रह्यो । सन् १९११ देखि ८ दशकको अवधिमा २ सय ४० मेगावाट भन्दा कम आयोजनाहरु निर्माण भएको परिप्रेक्ष्यमा उक्त ऐन सफलतापूर्वक कार्यान्वयन भएकोमा शंका छैन ।

विद्युत ऐनमा परिमार्जन
यस पंक्तिकारले ३ महिने अनुसन्धानपश्चात निजी क्षेत्रको दृष्टिकोणमा विद्युत ऐनमा परिमार्जन गर्नुपर्ने बुँदाहरु समेटेर ४ वटा कार्यपत्र सन् १९९८ जुनमा आयोजित गोष्ठीमा प्रस्तुत गरेर एउटा प्रतिवेदन नेपाल उद्योग व्यापार महासंघ मार्फत नेपाल सरकारसमक्ष प्रस्तुत गरेबाट शुरु भएको परिमार्जनको प्रयासले सन् २००८ मा मूतरुप लिएकोमा तुहाईयो ।

बिद्यमान विद्युत ऐनमा धेरै परिमार्जन आवश्यक भएतापनि स्थानाभावको कारण प्रस्तुत लेखमा केहि महत्वपूर्ण बुंदाहरुकोमात्र विवेचना गरिएकोछ ।

जलश्रोतको बहुआयामिक उपयोगहरु
जलविद्युत उत्पादनको कुरा गर्दा नदीमा बग्ने पानीबाट बहुआयामिक लाभ लिन सकिन्छ, विद्युत उत्पादन मात्र होइन भन्ने कुरा बिस्मृतिमा पार्न हुन्न । विद्युत उत्पादनका धेरै वैकल्पिक श्रोतहरु छन्, स्वच्छ र नवीकरणीय देखि अस्वच्छ र गैर नवीकरणीयसम्म । तर पानी, त्यो पनि स्वच्छ पानीको विकल्प छैन । जलबिद्युत उत्पादन बाहेक पानीको बहुआयामिक उपयोगहरु निम्न हुनः

* खानेपानी तथा सरसफाइ — खानेपानी सुरक्षा हासिल भए अकाल मृत्युबाट उन्मुक्तीदेखि देशमा हुने औषधोपचार खर्च आधाभन्दा बढी बचत हुन्छ;
* सिंचाइ — सघन खेतीबाट खाद्य सुरक्षा हासिल भएर अनिकाल तथा भूखमरीबाट हुने मृत्युबाट मुक्तीका साथै खाद्यान्न आयातजनित व्यापार/शोधनान्तर घाटा कम हुन्छ;
* पशु तथा मत्स्यपालन — पोषक खाद्य पदार्थको सर्वसुलभ उपलब्धता तथा पशुपंक्षी तथा माछा आयात घटेर पनि व्यापार÷शोधनान्तर घाटा कम हुन्छ;
* बिद्युत उत्पादन (आणविक उर्जा उत्पादन समेत) — आत्मनिर्भर उर्जा सुरक्षाकोलागि;
* जल पर्यटन — ¥याफ्टींग लगायतकोलागि;
* जल परिवहन — ढुवानिमा लाग्ने उर्जा खपतमा ८५ प्रतिशत बचतबाट लाभान्वित हुन;
* पानीमा आधारित उद्योग — स्वच्छ तथा लवणयुक्त पानीको निकासी लगायत;
* सांस्कृतिक तथा परम्परागत उपयोग ।

विकल्पहरुको व्यापक मूल्यांकन
कुनै पनि नदिको पानीको सदुपयोग गर्नु अघि उपरोक्त उपयोगहरु मध्ये कुन उपयोगबाट जनता समृद्ध तथा देशको अर्थतन्त्र सुदृढ हुन्छ भन्ने कुरा बिचार गरिनुपर्छ । यसकोलागि सम्भाव्य विकल्पहरुको व्यापक मूल्यांकन गरेर निक्र्योल निकालिनुपर्छ । निकट भविष्यमा हाइड्रोजन उत्पादन गरेर हाइड्रोजन अर्थतन्त्रमा नेपालको प्रवेशको सम्भाव्यतालाई पनि दृष्टिगत गरिनुपर्छ ।

जलविद्युत आयोजनै निर्माण गर्ने भए आयोजनास्थल विशेषमा जलाशययुक्त आयोजना बन्नसक्छ भने नदी प्रवाही आयोजना नबनाइ जलाशययुक्त आयोजना नैं निर्माण गर्दा देशको हित हुन्छ । जसबाट बिजुली पनि बढी, त्यो पनि उच्च गुणस्तरको उत्पादन हुनाको अतिरिक्त सुख्खायाममा थप/नियन्त्रित बहुमूल्य पानी उपलब्ध हुन्छ । यो कुरा ऐनमा लाइसेन्स सम्बन्धी व्यवस्थामा स्पष्ट उल्लेख गरिनुपर्छ । यस सन्दर्भमा माथिल्लो कर्णाली र तमोर खराब उदाहरणहरु हुन् ।

जलाशययुक्त आयोजनालाई बहुउद्देश्यीय बनाइनु पर्छ भन्ने व्यवस्था पनि ऐनमा किटानी गरिनुपर्छ । किनभने जलाशययुक्त आयोजनाबाट तल्लो तटीय इलाकामा वर्षातको ४ महिना बाढी नियन्त्रण हुनुको अतिरिक्त पानीको बहुआयामिक उपयोग गर्न सकिन्छ । बुढी गण्डकी आयोजना एउटा उदाहरण हो, जसलाई बहुउद्देश्यीय बनाईएन, नत्र चितवन, नवलपरासी, बारा आदि भेगलाई समृद्ध बनाउन सकिन्थ्यो ।

जलविद्युत उत्पादनको लक्ष्य
जलविद्युत उत्पादनको लक्ष्य आत्मनिर्भर उर्जा सुरक्षा हुनुपर्छ, आयातीत खनिज इन्धनको विस्थापनार्थ यातायातको विद्युतिकरण समेत, जसबाट (१) व्यापार/शोधनान्तर घाटा घट्छ (२) ढुवानीमा लाग्ने उर्जाको लागत तात्विक रुपमा कम हुन्छ र (३) वायू प्रदुषण न्यूनिकरण हुन्छ ।

ऐनको मुख्य लक्ष्य शत प्रतिशत जनताको विद्युतमा पहुंच र नेपाल उर्जामा परनिर्भरताबाट मुक्ती हुनुपर्छ । अन्तिम लक्ष्य गृहिणीहरुलाई आन्तरिक प्रदुषणबाट मुक्ति दिलाउन भान्छाबाट दाउरालाई विद्युतले प्रतिस्थापन गर्ने हुनुपर्छ । खाना पकाउने ग्यांसको विस्थापन मनग्गे बिजुली सुलभतापूर्वक उपलब्ध भएपछि आफै हुनसक्छ ।

नेपालमा उपभोग्य वस्तुहरु उत्पादन गर्ने उद्योगहरु आवश्यकता अनुरुप स्थापना नभएकोले अर्थतन्त्र पूर्णतः परनिर्भर छ, व्यापार÷शोधनान्तर घाटा चुलिंदोछ । संचालनमा रहेका उद्योगहरु पनि यथेष्ट बिजुलीको अभावमा पूर्ण क्षमतामा संचालित छैनन् । त्यसैले आयात प्रतिस्थापन तथा निर्यात प्रबद्र्धन गर्ने उद्देश्यले बृहत् स्तरमा औद्योगिकरण गर्न सर्वसुलभतापूर्वक बिजुली उपलब्ध गराउने लक्ष्य हुनुपर्छ ।

यस अतिरिक्त कृषि, खनिज, जडिवुटी आदि प्रशोधन उद्योग स्थापनार्थ विद्युतिय उर्जा सर्वसुलभतापूर्वक उपलब्ध गराउने दायित्व राज्यको हुने कुरा ऐनमा उल्लेख गरिनुपर्छ । सिंचाइकोलागि बिजुलीले पानी तान्ने पम्प तथा निर्वाहमुखि कृषि क्षेत्रको व्यवसायिकरण गर्न शीत भण्डार र कृषि सामग्री तथा रासायनिक मल उत्पादन आदि प्रोत्साहित गर्न प्रचुरमात्रामा विद्युत आपूर्ति सुनिश्चित गर्ने व्यवस्था ऐनमा गरिनुपर्छ ।

लाइसेन्स प्रकृया
हाल लाइसेन्स प्रकृया यति खुकुलो छ कि झोलामा खोला भन्ने आहानै बन्यो । यस सम्बन्धमा नयाँ ऐनमा निम्न कुराहरु किटानीसाथ उल्लेख गरिनुपर्छः

* कुनै पनि आयोजनास्थलको लाइसेन्स जारी गर्दा बिजुली उत्पादनको सट्टा पानीको वैकल्पिक उपयोग गर्दा देश बढी लाभान्वित हुनेभए जलविद्युत लाइसेन्स नदिने;
* जलाधार क्षेत्रबाट अधिकतम लाभ प्राप्त हुने गरेर लाइसेन्स दिने;
* बग्ने पानीको परिमाण र उपलब्ध उचाइको इन्जिनियरिंग हिसाबले हुनआउने जडित क्षमताको आधारमा लाइसेन्स जारी नगरी भविष्यमा थप सिंचाइको लागि आवश्यक पानी समेतलाई दृष्टिगत गरेर लाइसेन्स दिने । नत्र भविष्यमा थप सिंचाइ गर्न नपाई जनघनत्वको आवश्यकता अनुरुप खाद्यान्न लगायत उत्पादन हुनसक्दैन;
* राज्यलाई सबभन्दा कम दरमा उच्चस्तरको बिजुली उपलब्ध हुने गरेर पारदर्शी रुपमा प्रतिश्पर्धा गराएर लाइसेन्स जारी गर्ने;
* वित्तिय हैसियत र वित्त परिचालन गर्ने क्षमता नभएकाहरुले लाईसेन्स ओगटेकोले झोलामा खोलाको अवस्था आएको छ, उर्जा संकटको साथै राज्य रोयल्टीबाटपनि बंचित भएकोछ । यसैले आयोजनाको लागतको १० प्रतिशत बराबर बैंक जमानत लिएर मात्र लाइसेन्स दिने;
* लाइसेन्स अवधि पछि आयोजनाको स्वामित्व सरकारमा निक्षेपण हुने भएकोले आयोजनाहरुको डिजायन आयु, निर्माण तथा मर्मत सम्भार मापदण्ड तोकेर अवलम्बन गराउने र लाइसेन्स अवधि पछि कमसेकम १० वर्षसम्म संचालन सुनिश्चित गर्ने ।

निकासी
देशमा उर्जा संकट छ (खनिज इन्धन इत्यादि प्रतिस्थापन गर्ने लक्ष्य बिनै) । यस्तोमा आयोजनाहरुलाई निकासीमूलक लाइसेन्स दिईनु बिडम्बना हो । देशले पूर्णरुपमा आत्मनिर्भर उर्जा सुरक्षा हासिल नगरेसम्म कुनैपनि आयोजनालाई निकासीमूलक लाइसेन्स दिईनुहुन्न । विशेष कारणले आयोजना विशेषलाई निकासीमूलक बनाउनु पर्दा अनिवार्यरुपमा संसदीय अनुमोदनको व्यवस्था गरिनुपर्छ, वर्तमान संविधानको धारा २७९ को उपधारा (१) र (२)(घ) मा “प्राकृतिक श्रोत तथा त्यसको उपयोगको बाँडफाँट” सम्बन्धी सन्धी र सम्झौता संसदीय अनुमोदन गरिनुपर्ने व्यवस्था भएकोले । स्मरणिय छ, राज्यले लाइसेन्स जारी गरेर पनि सम्झौता गर्दछ ।

निरपेक्ष ढंगबाट बिजुली निकासी नगर्न सम्भव हुन्न । आफूलाई बढी भएको बेलामा निकासी गर्नु र अपुग भएमा पैठारी गर्नु अन्तरनिर्भरताको जमानामा सामान्य कुरा हो । तर यो काम राज्यको आवश्यकता अनुसार गरिनुपर्छ, आयोजना प्रवद्र्धकको हैकममा हैन ।

तल्लो तटीय लाभ
हाल प्रचलनमा रहेको विद्युत ऐन र तुहाईएको विद्युत विधेयकको सबभन्दा ठूलो कमजोरी नै तल्लो तटीय लाभ सम्बन्धी मौनता हो । नेपालको भूभाग डुबाएर, जनतालाई विस्थापित गराएर सुख्खायाममा उत्पादन हुने थप/नियन्त्रित पानी तल्लो तटीय मुलुकलाई निशुल्क दिनु कुनै पनि हालतमा उचित/जायज हैन । किनभने डुबानमा पर्ने जमिनबाट उत्पादन हुने कृषि उपज र वन पैदावारबाट राज्य पचासौं वर्ष सम्म बंचित हुन्छ, कोशी र गंडक सन्धीमा राज्यले गुमाउने मालपोत सम्बन्धीमात्र व्यवस्था छ ।

तसर्थ आयोजनाको नेपाल भित्रको तल्लो तटीय क्षेत्रमा थप÷नियन्त्रित पानी उपभोग हुनसक्ने सम्मको जडित क्षमता निर्धारण गरिनुपर्छ । यदि भारतले नेपालमा निर्मित आयोजनाबाट उत्पादित थप/नियन्त्रित पानी उपभोग गर्ने चाहना राखे अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय प्रचलन÷नजीर बमोजिम यस्तो पानीबापत रकम तिर्न कबूल गरेको खण्डमा मात्र जडित क्षमता बढाउने व्यवस्था ऐनमा गरिनुपर्छ । यस सम्बन्धमा बुढी गंडकी आयोजनाको जडित क्षमता निर्धारण गर्नेहरुबाट ठूलो गल्ती भएकोछ ।

२०७४ माघ २८ गतेको नागरिकमा प्रकाशित

Ratna Sansar Shrestha