India, Nepal coordinating on real-time basis to minimise damage due to flooding: MEA

India said on Thursday that embankment and anti-erosion work on major rivers along the India-Nepal border has begun and the two countries are coordinating on a real-time basis to minimise the damage due to flooding and inundation in the monsoon season.

India said on Thursday that embankment and anti-erosion work on major rivers along the India-Nepal border has begun and the two countries are coordinating on a real-time basis to minimise the damage due to flooding and inundation in the monsoon season. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said at the weekly press briefing that there is already an existing bilateral mechanism between India and Nepal with regard to flooding and inundation works and embankment and anti-erosion works have already commenced.

"We are already ongoing on some major rivers along the India, Nepal border. Both sides are coordinating on a real-time basis to minimise the damage due to flooding and inundation in this monsoon season," he said. On Monday, the Bihar government had alleged that Nepal had stopped all repair work of river embankments on the India-Nepal border, by erecting barriers and effectively putting a stop to work being done to prevent flooding of its low-lying areas.

This came amid tensions between Kathmandu and New Delhi over a new map in which the neighbouring country has staked claim over some Indian territories. Nepal had also obstructed to repair work on the embankment on Lalbakeya river, in East Champaran district in Bihar, where there is no man's land and the dam is present for 20 years. (ANI)