Reconstruction of irrigation canals gains pace in Jumla

By Our Correspondent,Jumla, June 26: The reconstruction of irrigation canals in Jumla, which were damaged and swept away by floods and landslides, has been begun. After the devastating rainfall in 2022 AD, the floods and landslides had destroyed the irrigation canal used for irrigating Marsi rice. With the reconstruction now underway, things have started to become easier.

From October 5 to 12, 2022 AD, continuous rainfall over the course of a week caused severe flooding in Jumla, affecting areas including Hima, Sinja, Kankasundari, Tila Tatopani and Guthichaur. The flood not only destroyed dozens of houses and irrigation canals across the district but also resulted in the tragic loss of 10 lives.

After most of the irrigation canals across the district were damaged, rice planting had to be stopped, causing great distress to the farmers. Now, reconstruction of such canals is underway in dozens of locations.

The Water Supply, Irrigation, and Energy Development Office in Jumla has informed that several irrigation canals damaged by disasters have been reconstructed. 

According to Office Chief Ekal Bahadur Mahat, in the current fiscal year, out of a total of 92 projects supported by the Ministry of Water Supply, Irrigation, and Energy Development under the Karnali Provincial Government, 42 are related to drinking water and irrigation. Most of these involve the restoration of canals that had been blocked or damaged due to floods and landslides, and are now in good working condition.

According to the office, several canals damaged by floods have been reconstructed, including the Dhaulmudi Ukhadi irrigation canal in Guthichaur Rural Municipality Ward 4, the irrigation project from Erodi Kulapata to Bhandari Jyulo in Tila Ward 4, the Uthile Aereni irrigation canal in Chandannath, the Majh canal in Chandannath, and more than a dozen other irrigation canals.

According to office engineer Netra Raj Regmi, more than a dozen irrigation canals were completed in the last fiscal year as well. He mentioned that canals like the Devar village canal in Hima Rural Municipality and the Mofla irrigation canal have been reconstructed, enabling rice plantation. Similarly, the Uparkhet irrigation canal and the Mathi canal irrigation project in Ward 7 of Chandannath Municipality have also been completed.

As the irrigation canals used for planting one of Jumla’s main crop Marsi rice are now being reconstructed, farmers have started to be happy.

In Tila Rural Municipality Ward 4, an irrigation canal stretching about 4 kilometres and covering the areas of Bherikhola, Nuwakot, Sapulli, and Rawatwada runs through a major paddy field area, with around 300 metres already planted in Weduli Jyulo. 

According to local resident Gorkha Hamal, the canal, which was damaged by floods and landslides in 2022 AD, has now begun to be reconstructed. However, due to a lack of budget, the canal has not been fully completed. The available budget has been used to complete work accordingly.

Local resident Gopal Bhandari informed that the Dhaulmudi Ukhadi project in Guthichaur Rural Municipality has also become operational. He stated that the canal, which was damaged by the floods and landslides of 2022 AD, has been reconstructed by the Water Supply, Irrigation, and Energy Development Project, and is now functioning properly, allowing rice planting to take place.

Lack of budget in Kuchekuna

The Madapolna–Kuchekuna irrigation canal, which irrigates the fields of Jyula in Kuchekuna, Ward No. 1 of Hima Rural Municipality, suffered the most damage due to floods, and rice planting has not been possible there for the past three years. 

However, work has now begun with a small budget from the provincial government. According to the Water Supply, Irrigation, and Energy Development Office in Jumla, work has started this fiscal year with an allocation of Rs. 2 million, and another Rs. 2 million has been allocated for the upcoming fiscal year as well.

According to technical estimates, it will take around Rs. 30 to 40 million to fully reconstruct the 2-kilometre canal. Local resident Lalu Kumar Shahi of Badki village in Hima Ward No. 1 stated that the federal government needs to invest in such areas, otherwise it could take five to six years to complete the canal.