By P.R. Pradhan
Ethiopia is a less-developed country in Africa with huge hydropower potential, much like Nepal. The political leaders there came to believe that Ethiopians themselves, rather than foreigners, must build Ethiopia. This sentiment has been strongly associated with Abiy Ahmed, who has repeatedly emphasized that Ethiopians must build and develop their own country, citing projects such as the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam as examples of national effort. The Ethiopian government, with the active participation of its people, constructed the dam, generating hydropower and addressing power scarcity. Secondly, Ethiopian leaders recognized the future potential of the aviation sector. The government gave special priority to the operation and expansion of Ethiopian Airlines. All concerned ministries and departments were instructed to give top priority to the national flag carrier. Today, Ethiopian Airlines is the leading airline in Africa.
The above reality also applies in the Nepali context. For decades, we have been discussing the construction of the Budhigandaki Multipurpose Project, which is expected to generate 1,200 MW of electricity. Different governments have taken different decisions, yet the project has not begun. At one point, the project was handed over to China for construction; later, the government took it back, saying that Nepal would build it on its own. For years, successive governments wasted time debating the project’s construction modality. Finally, the previous government decided to construct the project under a company model. However, the present government led by the Rastriya Swatantra Party has decided to implement it under a powerful “authority” model.
Likewise, we have been hearing about the construction of the Nijgadh International Airport for decades. Everything is ready for the project’s construction; however, the government remains in a dilemma regarding the construction modality.
Frequent changes of government have undoubtedly delayed the formulation of an appropriate construction modality, and successive governments have failed to secure adequate funding for these projects. It is noteworthy that the current government enjoys an almost two-thirds majority, a situation that may not recur in the future given the country’s political structure. In the past, almost every government was formed through coalition arrangements in a hung parliament. With every change of government, priorities and policies also changed. In fact, personal interests of political leaders, the absence of all-party consensus, inadequate intra-party cooperation, poor coordination, discontinuity of projects initiated by previous governments, and lack of proper homework have all contributed to delays in the completion of national priority projects.
Like the Ethiopian leadership, if Nepal’s leaders also believe that foreigners will not come to build Nepal and that we must build our nation ourselves, we too can transform our country. There should be an all-party consensus on the construction of priority projects, along with coordination and continuity among political parties, so that whichever party comes to power, the succeeding government continues the projects without interruption.
An uncertainty has emerged regarding the Budhigandaki Project as the present government has decided to shift the construction model from a company structure to an authority structure.
We should not forget that since 1990, successive governments have handed over key rivers that could have been game changers for Nepal. According to critics, various prime ministers ceded control over important river-related projects to India in an effort to prolong their tenure in government. Therefore, concerns have been raised about whether the present government has a covert plan to hand over the Budhigandaki Project to India under the banner of “partnership in development”!
India’s primary interest is water, particularly for irrigation in its northwestern regions. It also requires water for drinking purposes and for maintaining navigation in the Ganges River system. Therefore, many believe that India has a strong interest in the Budhigandaki Project.
Similarly, some argue that India is constructing a major airport in Raxaul, Bihar, which could undermine the prospects of the Nijgadh International Airport. Nepal cannot expect a major boost in tourism without large aircraft and a modern international airport. Therefore, Nijgadh Airport is viewed as a potential game-changing project for Nepal’s tourism sector. According to this perspective, India understands this reality and therefore creates obstacles to Nepal’s strategic development projects.
Last but not least, some believe that while India is Nepal’s immediate neighbor, it is not necessarily a fully trustworthy partner. Nepal’s leadership should therefore reconsider the policy of prioritizing electricity exports to India and instead focus on developing the domestic market for electricity consumption.
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