Sikta Irrigation Project Provides Regular Water Supply, Farmers Express Happiness

Banke. Farmers here have started to become happy after the under-construction Sikta Irrigation Project in Banke started releasing regular water in the canal. The Sikta Irrigation Project, operated by constructing a dam on the Rapti River at Agaiya in Raptisohnari Rural Municipality-2, has been releasing water in the canal throughout the year as per the farmers' demand, except during the maintenance period.

Senior Divisional Engineer Manoj Kumar Sah, information officer of the Sikta Irrigation Project, informed that water has been released in the canal throughout the year as per the farmers' demand to ensure there is no shortage of irrigation. He said, "We have been providing water in the canal throughout the year as per the demand of the farmers, considering their needs as paramount, except during the maintenance period." "This has enabled farmers to not only cultivate paddy and wheat on time but also to earn economic benefits by cultivating off-season vegetables commercially."

According to him, the project, which was operated by constructing a dam on the Rapti River at Agaiya in Raptisohnari Rural Municipality-2, has a target of irrigating 42,766 hectares of land in the district, and so far, it has provided direct and regular irrigation facilities to 24,000 hectares of land.

Farmers in Raptisohnari Rural Municipality, Kohalpur Municipality, and Baijanath Rural Municipality, who were previously dependent on rainwater for paddy cultivation, have now been able to sow paddy seeds on time due to the regular irrigation facility.

Although there has not been sufficient rainfall so far, farmers in the areas covered by Sikta irrigation have already prepared paddy seedlings, said Ramlakhan Tharu, ward chairman of Raptisohnari Rural Municipality-7. He mentioned that farmers in the Fattepur area of wards no. 6 and 7 of Raptisohnari have already sown paddy seeds on time, stating that the Sikta Irrigation Project has proven to be a boon for the farmers.

Farmers have been able to sow paddy seeds on time in 24,000 hectares of land where regular irrigation facilities are available. In areas of Banke where Sikta's irrigation facility is not available, paddy seedlings have been prepared using water from motors installed for domestic use and in some areas, from drinking water taps.

Information officer of the Agricultural Knowledge Center Banke, Sujita Sharma, informed that only about 45 percent of farmers have prepared paddy seedbeds so far in the district, either through irrigation facilities or alternative methods. In Banke, paddy is cultivated on 33,780 hectares of land during the monsoon season.