Banke, September 13
Work on the national pride project, the Sikta Irrigation Project in Banke, has been accelerated with a target of completing the remaining infrastructure within the next five years.
Project Director Raju Acharya said construction has gained momentum following the government’s direction to complete the project within five years.
He said all remaining infrastructure could be completed within the deadline if there is no shortage of budget and human resources.
According to Acharya, the project has so far achieved 51 percent physical progress, while around Rs 24 billion has been spent on infrastructure development.
Although repair and maintenance works will continue regularly, efforts are currently focused on completing the remaining construction works within five years.
Sikta Irrigation Project started in 2005-06
The Sikta Irrigation Project was launched in fiscal year 2005-06 with the objective of providing irrigation facilities to 42,766 hectares of land.
Under the project, a 317-metre barrage is being constructed across the Rapti River at Agaiya in Rapti Sonari Rural Municipality of Banke.
The project aims to provide irrigation to 33,766 hectares through the West Main Canal and around 9,000 hectares through the East Main Canal.
At present, irrigation facilities have reached around 25,000 hectares, according to Sikta Irrigation Project Director Acharya.
The Sikta Irrigation Project was initially approved under a master plan in 2007 with an estimated cost of Rs 12.8 billion and a target for completion by fiscal year 2013-14.
During construction, the government expanded the project to cover an additional 9,000 hectares and added the East Main Canal and other infrastructure.
A revised master plan approved in fiscal year 2014-15 increased the estimated cost to Rs 25.02 billion and extended the completion deadline to fiscal year 2019-20.
However, the Sikta Irrigation Project was not completed within the revised deadline.
Under the latest master plan approved in 2022, the total project cost has been estimated at Rs 52.89 billion, with completion targeted for fiscal year 2029-30, according to Information Officer Manoj Kumar Sah.
Canal construction gathers pace
Sah said construction of branch and distributary canals is currently progressing rapidly, with tenders for 30 additional packages having been invited.
The 45-kilometre West Main Canal has already been completed. Its Sidhaniya, Akalgharwa and Guruwagaun branch canals are also nearing completion, while construction of the Duduwa branch canal is underway.
The Duduwa branch canal is designed to provide irrigation to around 16,000 hectares of farmland.
Construction of the canal had remained stalled for a long period due to a dispute involving contractor Coastal Pappu JV and a case pending in court. The dispute was resolved last year, allowing construction to resume through a new contractor.
According to Sah, tenders have also been invited for the construction of several other sub-branch and distributary canals under the West Main Canal.
In fiscal year 2025-26 alone, around 9.5 kilometres of canals were constructed under the Duduwa irrigation system, while nine kilometres of branch, sub-branch and distributary canals were built under the western canal system.
Similarly, around 9.5 kilometres of branch, sub-branch and distributary canals were constructed under the eastern canal system.
As part of irrigation-area protection and conservation works, 7.5 kilometres of embankments were constructed and 5.5 hectares of land were acquired during the same fiscal year.
Sah said the project achieved more than 96 percent physical progress and around 89 percent financial progress last fiscal year, out of the Rs 1.57 billion budget allocated to the project.
East Main Canal remains incomplete
The 53-kilometre East Main Canal is still incomplete.
Around 35 kilometres of the canal has been constructed from the barrage through Baisagaun. However, construction has been halted in the Narainapur Rural Municipality area.
Shalikram Dangi, chairperson of the Sikta Irrigation Water Users Committee, said farmers have been unable to receive irrigation when needed because the branch, sub-branch and distributary canals under both main canal systems have not yet been fully completed.
“Even though the main canals have been constructed in many areas, farmers cannot get irrigation when they need it because the branch and smaller canals are still incomplete,” Dangi said.
