DANG: The construction of an artificial dam in the Rani Community Forest area of Ward No. 18 of Tulsipur Sub-metropolitan City has improved irrigation access for local farmers, transforming previously dry farmland that depended entirely on rainfall into productive agricultural land with a more reliable water supply.
According to Govinda Nepali, chairperson of the local Dam Conservation Committee, the dam, constructed under the Greater Dang Valley Irrigation Project, has begun supplying irrigation water to the Hemantapur area. Plans are also underway to extend irrigation facilities to approximately 200 bighas of land across Dhankhanne, Sanodamar and Daudare.
Nepali said the dam has improved irrigation while also raising groundwater levels in nearby wells and traditional water sources, making water more readily available to local communities.
Madhav Oli, ward chairperson of Tulsipur Sub-metropolitan City–18, said wells that previously dried up as early as Chaitra (March–April) now retain water throughout the year because the reservoir helps replenish groundwater. He added that farmland that once remained barren due to a lack of irrigation has become green and productive.
Oli said the area had been designated for agricultural use through a land-classification process, preventing its conversion to residential or industrial development. He emphasized that the dam and reservoir have contributed to water resource conservation and environmental protection while bringing significant improvements to local agriculture.
The reservoir also offers boating facilities, which have become an additional source of income through its operation, creating further economic opportunities for the area.