Apex court issues interim order to halt Kali Gandaki Diversion Project

KATHMANDU, July 14: The Supreme Court has issued an interim order that the proposed Kali Gandaki River Diversion Project be halted immediately. 

A single bench of the Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher JBR, on Wednesday, issued the orders in the name of defendants not to proceed with any works related to the project. 

The government aims to generate hydroelectricity and irrigate the land in some parts of Lumbini Province, diverting the water of the Kali Gandaki River. According to the project, a dam is to be constructed at Palpa’s Rambha Rural Municipality-3, Pipal Danda to diver the water to Dovan of Palpa’s Tinau Rural Municipality, Dobhan. 

Advocate Prakash Mani Sharma and others moved the court to lodge a writ petition against the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM), Finance Ministry and 40 other government bodies, on July 9. In the petition, an interim order was sought to halt the project.

The court asked the defendants to furnish written responses through the Office of Attorney General. 

See the order: