Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Biraj Bhakta Shrestha has said that all stakeholders must work together to complete the national pride Sikta Irrigation Project within the stipulated timeframe.
He expressed confidence that the successful implementation of the project would bring long-term positive changes to agricultural production, food security and the rural economy in Banke district.
Speaking at an interaction with project officials and beneficiary farmers after an on-site inspection, Minister Shrestha said the government is committed to ensuring the necessary budget for the project and urged officials to accelerate construction works.
According to a press statement issued by his secretariat, Minister Shrestha said he would take necessary steps to resolve legal, administrative and procedural hurdles delaying the timely completion of the national pride project.
According to him, procedures related to multi-year contracts and agreements would be simplified and made more effective. The minister expressed concern that encroachment on canals, pollution and unplanned urbanisation were gradually reducing irrigated areas, stressing that canal conservation should be given priority.
He said the government would not only ensure irrigation reaches farmers’ fields through infrastructure development but would also facilitate the marketing of agricultural produce, ensure the easy availability of quality seeds and fertilisers, and support the development of agricultural value chains.
Minister Shrestha said the Sikta Irrigation Project would serve not only as an infrastructure project but also as a long-term foundation for agricultural modernisation, increased production, strengthened food security and higher incomes for farmers in Banke.
The Sikta Irrigation Project, located at the Rapti River in Agaiya of Rapti Sonari Rural Municipality, Banke, features a 317-metre-long barrage and has been implemented with government funding since the fiscal year 2004/05.
The project aims to provide reliable irrigation facilities to 42,766 hectares of cultivable land in Rapti Sonari, Janaki, Baijanath, Duduwa, Narainapur and Khajura rural municipalities, as well as Kohalpur Municipality and Nepalgunj Sub-metropolitan City.
Of the total command area, 33,766 hectares will be irrigated through the western main canal and around 9,000 hectares through the eastern main canal.
The project was listed as a national pride project in the fiscal year 2011/12.
According to its approved master plan, the total estimated cost stands at around Rs. 52.89 billion. The project is planned to be completed in three phases, with the second phase currently under way. The project is targeted for completion by the fiscal year 2032/33.
According to the project office, overall physical progress has reached about 50.50 per cent, while financial progress stands at 45.53 per cent.
Around Rs. 24.08 billion has been spent so far, and irrigation facilities have already been extended to approximately 25,000 hectares of farmland.
Under the project, the 317-metre-long barrage, a desilting basin and a flushing channel at Agaiya have already been completed. The construction has also been completed on the 45.25-kilometre western main canal with a carrying capacity of 50 cubic metres per second.
On the eastern side, 37.675 kilometres of the planned 53.5-kilometre main canal with a capacity of 14.5 cumecs have been completed.
Likewise, 77.59 kilometres of branch and sub-branch canals have been constructed out of the planned 233 kilometres.
Around 30 kilometres of embankments have been built and a total of 187 hectares of land has been acquired for the construction of canals and related infrastructure.
In addition, lift irrigation systems at Kachanapur, Balapur and Dhakeri have expanded irrigation facilities to around 150 hectares of farmland.
TRN