Irrigation project runs dry in Dhankuta

By Our Correspondent,Hile, Nov. 27: The Lift Irrigation Project constructed in Shahidbhumi Rural Municipality-1, Gopalpur of Dhankuta has been halted.

The project, which was completed in the fiscal year 2021/22, has been stalled after operating for a few times. 

With the aim of providing irrigation facilities to the residents of the river banks, the Water Supply and Irrigation Development Division, Dhankuta brought the lift irrigation project into operation in the fiscal year 2021/22.

Some 27 hectares of land of 58 families of Gopalpur were directly benefitted from the project.

After the lift irrigation project became non-functional, residents of Gopalpur are facing immense problems in irrigating their agricultural lands.

When the project was closed mainly due to the problem of bursting of plastic pipes, the farmers had to give up the idea of irrigating their land.

Several hundred ropanies of land became barren due to lack of irrigation after the project was closed. After the closure of the irrigation project, the locals have been cultivating only maize and millet.

Yen Kumar Rai, a local, said that despite the demand for GI pipe to run the project, they only got assurances from the concerned authorities.

"After the pipe broke several times, we asked for a GI pipe to replace the plastic pipe, they assured us that they would replace the pipes, but till now pipes have not been replaced," said Rai.

Another local resident Mohan Kumar Rai said that after the project came into operation, it became easy to irrigate the land and agricultural yields improved, but after the project became non-operational farmers in the area are suffering.

"We tried to operate the project by repairing the pipes ourselves, but when pipes broke frequently, we gave up," said Rai.

Commercial production of vegetables started after the irrigation facility, but when the project became non-functional, farmers again had to rely on rain water and agricultural yields decreased significantly. Along with pipeline extension, two tanks, water collecting tube well, water pumping motor and solar panels had been installed. The solar panels placed in the project-site are already covered with bushes.

At the expense of Rs. 13.5 million, around 1,659 metres pipeline has been extended to pump water from Tamor River. Likewise, 14,983 metres of pipeline have been extended to release water from the tank for irrigation.

On the other hand, the Irrigation Division Office said that the project has not been closed.

According to the Office, about Rs. 2.5 million, which was allocated twice for the repair of the pipe, was returned because the work could not be done.

Buddhiman Limbu of the Irrigation Division Office said that due to a case being filed in Commission for the Investigation Abuse of Authority, the budget received last year for the repair was returned.

"For about one and a half years, we were not able to carry out the repair work as a case was filed in CIAA, and now the case has been settled, so this year the work to replace the GI pipe will resume," said Limbu.