"We will work together with a new dynamism for the fruitful solution of the water resources management between India and Nepal," Deepak Gyawali, Nepal's minister for water resources told reporters in Patna, capital of the eastern Indian state of Bihar.

Gyawali arrived here with a 11-member delegation for a three day visit on Tuesday.

The "goodwill" visit by Gyawali is being seen as significant in the wake of Indian accusations that Nepal releases excess floodwater from its dams into Bihar.

"Such wrong notions exist on both sides," Gyawali said, adding, "The Koshi river, that causes most damage on the Indian side is one of the most difficult rivers in the world to tame."

He maintained that even if a high dam proposed to be built in Nepal jointly by the two neigbours took shape, it would take as long as 30 years to be completed.

Bihar's water resources minister, Jagadanand Singh, said he was satisfied with the talks with his Nepalese counterpart.

"The talks were satisfactory and we are hopeful of a technical solution of the flood woes of Bihar," he said.

Bihar is ravaged annually by floods from rivers that emanate in the Himalayan kingdom of Nepal and traverse through the length of the state.

According to Bihar's flood relief department statistics, more than 350 people were killed in last year's floods in the state and 1.8 million hectares of land in 24 districts were affected in floods.

Crops worth millions of rupees were damaged.

SPACE.WIRE