Jajarkot, August 26
Farmers of Roli Jiula in Nalgad Municipality-10, who faced difficulties after a flood in the Taksugad stream destroyed an irrigation canal, are set to receive immediate relief. With paddy crops at risk due to the lack of irrigation, the Drinking Water and Irrigation Office, Jajarkot, has resolved the problem by temporarily providing 500 meters of pipe.
The flood that struck the Taksugad stream, located between Nalgad Municipality wards 10 and 11, on August 14, completely destroyed the irrigation canal. The flood also damaged the road under the Bheri Corridor and swept away four houses entirely. After the canal was destroyed, irrigating the paddy planted in Roli Jiula became a problem.
Local farmers had been demanding an immediate alternative arrangement, warning that without timely irrigation, the paddy crop would dry up and yields would be severely affected. Since rebuilding the damaged canal right away was not feasible, providing water temporarily through pipes was proposed as an alternative.
Under the direction of Nalgad Municipality’s mayor, Dambar Rawat, and deputy mayor, Devaka Lamichhane, the municipality had prepared a cost estimate for the necessary structure after the canal was damaged. It then took the initiative to secure pipes through the Drinking Water, Irrigation and Energy Development Office.
Following the municipality’s initiative, the Drinking Water and Irrigation Office, Jajarkot, provided 500 meters of 110mm pipe. Preparations are underway to use this pipe as an alternative to the damaged canal to bring irrigation water to Roli Jiula.
According to the municipality, pipe installation will begin from Wednesday. Once installed, farmers are expected to receive irrigation facilities for the time being, providing relief for the paddy crop. The plan is to run irrigation through the pipes until the canal can be permanently rebuilt.
With the flood having damaged the canal as well as the road and homes, local residents’ daily lives have been affected. The flood in the Taksugad stream also damaged the road under the Bheri Corridor, causing transportation problems. Temporary reconstruction work on the flood-damaged structures has been completed.
The collapse of the irrigation canal has had its biggest impact on agriculture. Since Roli Jiula is an important agricultural area for Nalgad-10, urgent irrigation arrangements were needed to protect the paddy crop there. With the risk of major losses growing as farmers were unable to get water to their crops, the municipality took the initiative to arrange pipes as a temporary solution.
The municipality has also stated that while the pipes address the immediate problem, rebuilding the damaged irrigation canal is necessary in the long run. Preparations are underway to assess other flood-damaged structures and proceed with reconstruction and repair work in phases. Onlinekhabar had earlier reported on the problems caused by the lack of irrigation facilities.
