Sikta Irrigation Project's Western Canal Poses Deadly Threat to Wildlife

Banke. Wildlife are dying prematurely due to the under-construction Sikta Irrigation Project's western main canal not being wildlife-friendly. Wildlife that come to quench their thirst are getting trapped and dying in the canal. The risk is increasing as most of the western main canal of the Sikta Irrigation Project falls within the Banke National Park area, community forests, national forests, and government-managed forest areas.

With the onset of summer, wildlife that come to the canal daily for water are dying in it, said Tank Gurung, information officer at the Division Forest Office. According to him, as recently as Saturday, four deer were trapped in the canal in the Harlaphanta Community Forest area in a single day. They were safely rescued and released into a safe forest area through the joint efforts of local forest officials, locals, forest employees, and park employees.

Previously, three locals were arrested on Friday while going home with meat after killing a deer that was trapped in the canal in Khoriya, Raptisomari Rural Municipality-2. They were apprehended in the forest area by employees of Banke National Park, the Division Forest Office, and locals while carrying the meat home.

According to Sushil Subedi, Senior Divisional Forest Officer, wildlife go to the canal to drink water. In recent times, many wild animals have also been getting trapped in the canal due to wildfires. He stated that due to ongoing wildfires in Banke National Park and national, community, and other forests, incidents of wild animals like deer, spotted deer, nilgai, and wild boar getting trapped in the canal while fleeing have increased.

"The western main canal of the Sikta Irrigation Project passes through forest areas in most places, and various types of wildlife are found here. The forest area of Banke National Park also falls here," says Senior Divisional Forest Officer Subedi. "The canal is not wildlife-friendly, and hundreds of wild animals have been trapped in the canal so far. While some incidents have been rescued upon being reported, there have also been many instances of poaching."

Although ponds have been built in the forest areas for wildlife to drink water, there is not enough water. There are ponds with water in Trishakti and Bhagwati Community Forests, but they are not sufficient. Local leader Madan Oli from Raptisomari Rural Municipality-2 says that although Sikta Irrigation has built ghats (water access points) in some places for wildlife to drink water from the canal, these ghats are not safe or reliable. He believes that constructing quality ghats and installing wire fencing on both sides of the canal, apart from the ghats, will provide a long-term solution to this problem."