| Mechi River | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Mechi River near West Bengal–Bihar border  Mechi River (India) | |
| Location | |
| Country | Nepal, India |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Mahabharat Lekh |
| • location | Mahabharat Lekh, Nepal |
| Mouth | Mahananda River |
• location | Kishanganj district, Bihar, India |
• coordinates | 26°13′46″N 87°57′05″E / 26.22944°N 87.95139°E |
The Mechi River is a trans-boundary river flowing through Nepal and India. It is a tributary of the Mahananda River.
The Mechi River rises in the Mahabharat Range of eastern Nepal and flows generally southward through Nepal and India. In its middle course, the river forms part of the international boundary between Nepal and India before entering the plains of the Indian state of Bihar. It subsequently flows through Kishanganj district and joins the Mahananda River, which is a tributary of the Ganges.
The Mechi is part of the wider Mahananda River basin. Its catchment includes areas of both Nepal and India, and the river system is influenced by the transition from the Himalayan foothills to the alluvial plains. Rivers in this region commonly develop braided channels and extensive alluvial deposits, particularly where they emerge from the hills onto the plains.
Because the river crosses or forms part of the Nepal–India boundary, flood management and riverbank protection have required coordination between the two countries. Changes in river channels and sediment deposition can affect agricultural land and settlements on both sides of the border.
Embankments exist of the left bank of the Mechi River for 14 kilometres (9 mi) in West Bengal. These need remodelling to prevent floods in the Naxalbari area of Darjeeling district. There also is a need for new embankments. As the Mechi forms the international border, it was agreed at a meeting of the Nepal-India Joint Standing Technical Committee to take due care in aligning the embankments so that they would be at identified distance from the border and the top levels of the embankments should be kept same on both sides, as far as practicable.
The Kosi–Mechi Link is a proposed river-linking project intended to transfer water from the Kosi River basin to the Mechi River basin in northeastern India. The proposal forms part of India's wider National River Linking Project and is intended primarily to provide additional water for irrigation in the Bihar region.
Under the proposal, water would be diverted from the Kosi system through a link canal towards the Mechi basin. The project has been associated with the proposed Kosi High Dam and other water-management infrastructure in the Kosi basin. Its implementation would require coordination between India and Nepal because parts of the wider Kosi and Mechi river systems are transboundary.
The proposal has been discussed in the context of irrigation, flood management and water-resource development in Bihar and Nepal's eastern border region. Its feasibility and implementation depend on technical studies, environmental considerations, financing and agreements between the concerned governments.
The Mechi is one of several rivers associated with the Nepal–India border, alongside rivers such as the Mahakali, Karnali, Rapti and Koshi. The river flows from the Himalayan foothills towards the Terai and the plains of Bihar and West Bengal, forming part of the wider Mahananda River basin. The Central Water Commission identifies the Mechi as one of the major tributaries of the Mahananda system.
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