Musikot municipality dismantles irrigation canal to construct road network

By Raju Lamichhane,Rukum West, May 26: An under-construction irrigation canal is being dismantled to construct a road in Rukum West. The canal from the Ghattekhola Khaligaira Irrigation Project, located in Musikot Municipality of ward number 1 and 2, is being destroyed to make way for the road project.

Construction of the canal began in the fiscal year 2019/20 but it is being dismantled before completion.

Min Bahadur KC, the Acting Chief of the Agriculture Development Office, said that nearly 95 percent of the canal construction has been completed. 

He said that this would leave about 30 hectares of arable land in ward-2 barren. So far, Rs. 6.5 million have been spent on the project.

Local farmer Dibsa Oli Khadka feared that without the canal, the fertile land would go uncultivated. Farmers have appealed to the local government to stop the destruction of the canal, but their requests have been ignored, he complained. 

Approximately 600 metres of the 1,800-metre-long canal fall under the road construction area. The 'Patukhola-Ghattekhola-Khaligaira- Ward-2 Pashupati Mabi' road involves investments from two development projects.

The work on the river source area of the canal involves a contract with the Federal Project Implementation Unit in Surkhet and the section towards the village is handled by the Infrastructure Development Office in Chaurjahari. 

The contractors have deployed bulldozers after signing contracts worth Rs. 4.2 million with the federal office and Rs. 2.3 million with the infrastructure development office.

Injustice to the agricultural sector

A tender was called for road construction in the fiscal year 2080/81 (2023/24). On January 16, 2024, the Agriculture Development Office sent letters to both offices requesting not to disrupt the area covered by the canal. However, both offices dismantled the canal without coordination, said the Agriculture Development Office.

They believed that dismantling the irrigation canal for road construction was an injustice to the agricultural sector. Recently, concerned offices were requested to coordinate to stop inflicting damage to the canal, but the dismantling of the canal for road construction is ongoing. 

Musikot Municipality Mayor Mahendra KC mentioned that they are working together to expedite the road construction process and are committed to minimising any disruption to irrigation facilities for farmers.

Mayor KC said he was committed to resuming the obstructed canal with municipal investment.