Irrigation Projects in Parbat Face Uncertainty as Deadlines Approach

Parbat. With only three months remaining in the fiscal year, critical irrigation projects under the Water Resources and Irrigation Development Division Office in Parbat have yet to be contracted. Despite repeated notices issued by the office to implement the budget allocated by the Gandaki Provincial Government, 10 projects remain in limbo as consumer committees have failed to come forward for agreements.

Out of 78 projects for the current fiscal year, 24 have been completed and 44 are in the implementation phase; however, the lack of interest from farmers in the remaining projects has raised concerns about the potential freezing of development funds. Legal requirements, such as the mandatory registration of irrigation consumer committees and the deposit of 100 rupees per ropani, have deterred consumers.

A shortage of active individuals to serve on consumer committees in villages, rising costs, and procedural complexities have left farmers unenthusiastic about these schemes. According to the office, locals have shown little interest in small-budget projects ranging from 5 to 3.5 million rupees due to labor shortages and the burden of cost-sharing.

The Nepal Farmers Federation has argued that farmers should not be solely blamed, demanding better dissemination of project information and reforms to the cumbersome processes. The failure to sign contracts and complete construction on time not only risks wasting the allocated budget but also threatens to negatively impact farming and agricultural production due to the lack of irrigation infrastructure.