Sikta Irrigation Project provides irrigation facilities in 22,000 hectares

By Our Correspondent

Nepalgunj, May 11: The Sikta Irrigation Project, national pride project which was started with the objective of ensuring irrigation facilities to about 43,000 hectares of land, has provided irrigation facilities to 22,000 hectares of land in Banke. 

The project has so far succeeded in providing irrigation facilities to more than half of the target.

Acting Chief of the project Manoj Kumar Shah said that more than 50 per cent work has been completed as per the target in the 20 years since the construction began.

He said that both time and cost have increased as master plans have been changed.

He said that due to the project, it has now been possible to cultivate 22,000 hectares of land due to guarantee of irrigation facility round the year, directly benefiting hundreds of farmer families.

The work of Sikta Irrigation Project was started from the fiscal year 2005/6. For the first time, the master plan of Rs. 12 billion was approved and the work progressed, but the master plan only included the work plan to build a dam in Rapti-Sonari Rural Municipality-2, Agaiya and the construction of the western canal.

Gradually, as the project's work area expanded, the eastern canal was also added. 

Similarly, branches were added to the western and eastern canals. River control works were also added to protect the command area from the Rapti River. For the second time, the master plan of Rs. 25 billion was approved in 2074 BS.

Shah said that the master plan of Rs. 52 billion was approved in 2079 BS and the Sikta Irrigation Project is currently working accordingly. 

“So far, 50 per cent of the target of Rs. 21 billion has been achieved. However, when compared to the initial cost, more than 100 per cent of the work has been done. Even when compared to the second master plan, about 90 per cent of the work has been completed," he said.

"As the work area increases, its progress seems to be less, so there is a perception among the public that the progress of the project has slowed down, but the reality is different," he said. 

According to him, 42 kilometres of the eastern canal have been constructed and water has reached it, while the western canal has also been constructed and water has flowed for 50 kilometres.

According to him, 42 kilometres of the eastern canal have been completed and water has reached them, while 50 kilometres of the western canal has also been completed and water is flowing.

Project engineer Tanoj Dulal said that water is flowing in full force in the Sidhaniya branch of the project and water is flowing in the Akalgharuwa branch accordingly.

According to Dulal, farmers are drawing water from pump sets in some places, while Sikta itself has also built four lift irrigation. 

Around 90 per cent of the work of the lift irrigation, which was started in high places where the canal water does not reach, has been completed, he said. 

The water has already reached at 2,000 hectares in the eastern canal in the Fatehpur command area. 

According to the latest master plan, the Sikta Irrigation Project is targeted to be completed in the fiscal year 2032/33. Acting project chief Shah said that the work has been divided into three phases, and the second phase is currently underway.

According to him, the second phase will continue until the fiscal year 2025/26. 

After that, the third phase will be carried out for the remaining five years. In the third phase, the expansion of the West Canal and the entire Narainapur area under the East Canal will be carried out.

According to the master plan, the project should receive an annual budget of Rs. 3 billion to complete the work on time, but only Rs. 1.55 billion has been allocated in the current fiscal year.