Kosi floods 2008: Some reflections

I have seen the two articles on the Kosi Floods by Kanak Mani Dixit and Dinesh Kumar Mishra. There is little to add to those analyses, with which I am in substantial agreement. May I, however, supplement them with a few remarks on (a) India-Nepal relations, (b) the idea of flood-control, and (c) the future course when the waters subside? 

The old Kosi and Gandak agreements (1954 and 59), whatever the thinking behind them, have left a legacy of resentment and mistrust in Nepal which has persisted despite the amendments of 1966 and 69 to take care of Nepal's concerns. That sense of grievance was aggravated by the Tanakpur episode. The Mahakali Treaty of 1996, signed after extensive consultations, has remained a dead letter, contributing to a worsening of India-Nepal relations rather than opening a new chapter as had been hoped. The old debate has now been revived by the Kosi floods. The India–Nepal relationship has been badly mismanaged on both sides. Ham-handedness and insensitivity on India's part, and excessive touchiness and readiness to misunderstand on Nepal's part, have combined to create a convoluted and volatile relationship between the two countries, which resists repair. Perhaps the best course would be to wipe the slate clean and start afresh. There is now a new government in Nepal, and a comprehensive review of the old treaties and agreements (including the Trade and Transit Treaty) is in any case inevitable. Why not scrap the lot and explore a new relationship? In doing so, it might be sensible to avoid excessive closeness and aim for no more than friendliness, correctness and a reasonable distance.