"Existing bilateral as well as multilateral treaties should be reviewed for equitable sharing of water and energy," Gopal Siwakoti ´Chintan´, a water rights expert, said in a two-day regional workshop that concluded in the capital on Sunday. [break]"We have no problem with the mega hydro projects. Our only concern is that they should fulfill local people´s demand for energy."
Saying that most of the mega hydro projects such as Arun III (900 MW), Upper Karnali (900 MW) and Upper Tamakoshi (750 MW) are export oriented projects, Siwakoti said there was no reason why people, who are facing lengthy power cuts, should support them.
Participants from countries like India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal stressed the for government´s proactive role in securing the rights of people in local resources.
"Activists and politicians should work together in order to make people´s voice heard," Ajaya Dixit, another water expert, said in the workshop.
The workshop, which was hosted by ActionAid International Nepal, also dwelt on other regional issues like livelihoods affected by dams and floods.
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