There is consensus over Kalapani: ex-Nepal Minister

• Integrity Education, Delhi
• 11, Oct 2021

• Nepalese political parties have a general consensus over the fact that Kalapani in Uttarakhand is part of Nepal’s sovereign territory, said former Foreign Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat.
• Mr. Mahat blamed the previous government of Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli for not holding dialogue on this issue with India.
• India-Nepal relations were disturbed during 2020 because of Mr. Oli’s decision to include the Kalapani region in the map of Nepal

History

• The Kali River in the Kalapani region demarcates the border between India and Nepal.
• The Treaty of Sugauli signed by the Kingdom of Nepal and British India (after Anglo-Nepalese War) in 1816 located the Kali River as Nepal's western boundary with India.
• The discrepancy in locating the source of the river led to boundary disputes between India and Nepal, with each country producing maps supporting their own claims.

Kali River

• It is also known as Sharda river or Kali Ganga in Uttarakhand.
• It joins Ghagra river in Uttar Pradesh, which is a tributary of Ganga.
• River Projects: Tanakpur hydro-electric project, Chameliya hydro-electric project, Sharda Barrage.