By A Staff Reporter, Kathmandu, Oct. 25: The government has accelerated the implementation of major irrigation projects, expanded irrigation facilities to thousands of hectares of farmland and advanced flood-control works over the past six months.
According to the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, irrigation facilities have been expanded to an additional 3,815 hectares of farmland under major irrigation projects since the formation of the current government.
Irrigation coverage has increased by 600 hectares under the Babai Irrigation Project, 1,300 hectares under the Sikta Irrigation Project, 610 hectares under the Badkapath Irrigation Project, 150 hectares under the Rani Jamara Kulariya Irrigation Project and 1,155 hectares under the Mahakali Irrigation Project.
These projects have received resource commitments from the Ministry of Finance to accelerate construction, expand canal networks and develop additional irrigated areas.
Following the receipt of a resource commitment amounting to Rs. 4.07 billion from the Ministry of Finance for the Babai Irrigation Project, construction activities have been advanced through contract management.
These activities include the construction of branch canals and infrastructure under the Western Canal System, the development and expansion of the irrigated area, and the development of the irrigated area under the Eastern Canal System.
Similarly, the Sikta Irrigation Project has received resource consent worth Rs. 5.23 billion. Of the 27 tenders invited, 11 contracts have been signed and construction has started, while the remaining 16 are undergoing the contract-award process.
Around 13 kilometres of canals have been constructed during the past six months, according to the Ministry.
The Badkapath Irrigation Project has received resource consent worth Rs. 1.05 billion, with construction underway to complete the project within the next two fiscal years, by fiscal year 2027/28. The project has already extended irrigation services to 610 hectares of farmland.
For the Mahakali Irrigation Project, resource consent worth Rs. 3.31 billion has been secured, and construction contracts have been managed for nine kilometres of main and branch canals and associated structures, said the Ministry of Energy.
The Rani Jamara Kulariya Irrigation Project has also moved forward with multiple construction packages. Contracts worth Rs. 961.2 million have been signed for the remaining works on the Lamki extension canal and structures, including branch canal LS-05. Another contract worth Rs. 2.5 billion has been signed for the Patharaiya extension canal and associated structures.
The project has issued letters of intent for two contracts estimated at Rs. 1.40 billion for protecting irrigated areas along the Patharaiya, Kandra and Kanda rivers.
Six additional tenders estimated at Rs. 1.06 billion are under evaluation for canal modernisation, protection of irrigated areas along the right bank of the Karnali River, and feeder canal construction and maintenance.
Meanwhile, the Sunkoshi Marin Diversion Multipurpose Project has invited fresh bids for its civil construction works after the previous contract was terminated. The bids are currently under evaluation. An additional 0.4 kilometres of embankment and 10 spurs have been completed for the control of the Marin River.
For the Bheri Babai Diversion Multipurpose Project in Surkhet, an integrated work schedule has been prepared by coordinating civil, hydro-mechanical and electro-mechanical contractors. The project is targeted for completion by FY 2028/29.
The government has prepared work schedules to complete the Babai Irrigation Project and the Bheri-Babai Diversion Multipurpose Project within the next two fiscal years. An integrated work schedule has also been prepared for the Bheri-Babai project by coordinating its major construction contracts.
According to the Ministry, it has also advanced flood and river-control programmes. A total of 44 contracts worth an estimated Rs. 1.35 billion have been invited through various irrigation and water-resource projects for managing river-related disasters.
Across six national pride projects under the Department of Water Resources and Irrigation, 12 contracts worth a combined estimated Rs. 22.73 billion have been invited.
The department has also prepared draft norms for the operation of irrigation canals through a task force formed for the purpose.
At present, irrigation schemes operated under joint management provide regular irrigation services to around 233,000 hectares of cultivable land. Telemetry technology has been installed in the Rani Jamara Kulariya and Rajapur irrigation systems to enable real-time monitoring of water discharge.
An asset management plan for the eastern Babai irrigation system has also been prepared and is being implemented.
In addition, construction of the barrage gates under the Jamuni Irrigation System is nearing completion. Once completed, the system is expected to provide year-round irrigation facilities to farmers in eastern Bara and western Rautahat.
The Department is also conducting feasibility studies and preparing environmental assessments for expanding irrigation services in the Deukhuri Valley, including the Dangali Chhap rehabilitation and Rajpur-Bela irrigation schemes, which are intended to serve 4,400 hectares of farmland.
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