Explained: Kalapani, a small area in India map that bothers Nepal

News:Nepal government has objected to the inclusion of ‘Kalapani’ under the Indian Territory as per the newly released political map of India after the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir.

Facts:

About Kalapani territory:

• Kalapani is a 35 square kilometre area.The Kali River in the Kalapani region demarcates the border between India and Nepal.
• Both India and Nepal claim Kalapani as an integral part of their territories with India as part of Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district and Nepal as part of the Darchula district. 
• The Treaty of Sugauli signed by the Kingdom of Nepal and British India (after Anglo-Nepalese War) in 1816 located the Kali River as Nepal’s western boundary with India. 
• However,the discrepancy in locating the source of the river led to boundary disputes between India and Nepal with each country producing maps supporting their own claims.
• The Prime Ministers of both the countries discussed the issue in 2000, with Indian PM assuring Nepal that India would not occupy even an inch of Nepal. 
• Five years ago,the matter was referred to a new mechanism comprising foreign secretaries of both sides.