It has been almost two decades since the third phase of the Mahakali irrigation project started. So far, 28 km of main canal has been constructed from Brahmadev to Faleli in Shuklaphanta municipality. Another 20 km from Faleli to Godavari in Kailali is under construction.

Half of the 22 branches in the 28 km of the main canal have been constructed, and half are under construction . If water is released from Tanakpur barrage, water can reach farmers' fields from half the branch. But when the canal has been built and the test has already been done, the water has not been operated due to the Indian side's unwillingness. 

'If water comes in the canal, it can be delivered to the farmers' fields,' said Yogendra Mishra, project director of the third phase of the Mahakali irrigation project, 'branches have been prepared by making some old irrigation systems and some new ones.'

Irrigation facility will reach 5000 hectares from 22 branches to be constructed in 28 km of the main canal. The project is regularly coordinating with National Hydropower Corporation (NHPC) to release water from Tanakpur Barrage. But NHPC has said that water can be released only by opening from the top level. "We will release the water as soon as we get the order from Delhi," NHPC employees used to give similar answers. 

The project has already informed the department about this matter . Two years ago, the project also tested the constructed canal. At that time, in Bedkot Municipality-4, Baitada was planted with water from the same canal. Since then water has not been released into the canal. 

In December 2078, during the then Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba's visit to India, the project was scheduled to be inaugurated. The program was jointly inaugurated by Prime Minister Deuba and Indian counterpart Narendra Modi online. But due to corona infection, Deuba's visit was postponed and the project could not be inaugurated. 

Then in 2079, during the then Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal's visit to India, the project was inaugurated. Accordingly, reporting was also done through the department. But the inauguration was stopped due to NHPC staff monitoring and reporting wrongly to their agency saying that the structure was not ready for the inauguration. 

If water can be operated in the canal, the construction company will also be pressured to increase the speed of work . Project director Mishra says that by constructing all 22 branches, water can be delivered to the fields. There are also some compensation disputes in the branches. If the water can be operated, it is expected that small disputes will be resolved in the hope of irrigating the fields. 

There was a dispute for a long time about the level of water to be given from Tanakpur barrage. India wanted water from 245 meters and Nepal demanded water from a lower level. After a long dispute, India was ready to give water from the level of 242.5 meters.

Sometimes due to lack of budget and sometimes due to compensation disputes, the project took a very slow pace . Even a decade after the construction started, the project had built only 12 km of canal. 

In 2077, after this project was upgraded to a project of national pride, the construction work accelerated with the increase in the budget. In the current fiscal year, about 2 billion budget was received. Out of which, 52 million has been allocated for compensation and 1.41 billion for construction, according to the project office.

This year also project director Mishra said that the compensation could not be distributed due to the price dispute and Lalpurja being in the name of one and Bhogchalan in the name of another. According to him, the locals are satisfied with the compensation rate determined in Krishnapur Municipality-1. In that area, the compensation has been determined from 5 lakh 85 thousand to 11 lakh 85 thousand per city . Similarly, in Krishnapur-4, there has been a problem in the distribution of compensation due to the fact that Lalpurja is in the name of one person and is being used by another. There are 45 units with such problems. 

The construction work has been delayed despite the delay in the tree cutting order in the forest area. In the community and national forest areas, the felling order has been made only in Baisakh after stopping for one and a half years due to various reasons . Director Mishra said that 9,000 trees are currently being cut in the area.

Now the 20 km canal construction work is being done in four packages . He said that despite the delay due to tree cutting and compensation disputes, the main canal work will be completed within the next fiscal year. Along with the construction of the main canal, it is planned to proceed with the construction of more branch canals from the next financial year. According to which, the area of ​​28 km where the main canal is currently constructed will be 45 km branch canal from Faleli till the end of the rehabilitation. Similarly, a branch canal will be constructed in Gulria area of ​​Krishnapur. By adding 9 branches, a total of 31 branches will be formed. 

So far, 9 billion budget has been spent for the construction of the project. Of which 1.72 billion has been spent on compensation. Irrigation facilities will reach 33 thousand 520 hectares of Kanchanpur and Kailali where the project has been constructed. According to the Mahakali treaty, one thousand cusecs of water will be available for irrigation in the third phase of the canal from Tanakpur barrage. 

Earlier, the first and second phase canals of the Mahakali irrigation project have been constructed to receive water from Sarada barrage. From 2042 to 2052, the first and second phase canals have been constructed up to Belauri in Kanchanpur. Irrigation facilities are available in 11 thousand 600 hectares from the canal which was constructed in two stages. 3.5 hundred cusecs of water has been provided for the said canal from Sarada barrage. 

Under the third phase, a canal will also have to be constructed for irrigation in Dodhara Chandni area. For which India will provide water from Sharda Canal . In the Mahakali Treaty, India has to build a canal of 1200 meters in the Indian territory. 

"Even in Dodhara Chandni, land acquisition work has already been done since the construction of DPR for canal construction," Project Director Mishra said, "There is no need to acquire much land due to the old irrigation system in some areas." According to him, land has been acquired for the construction of one kilometer of canal in Dodhara Chandni. Irrigation facilities will reach 3500 hectares from the said canal.

"If the water is supplied from Brahmadev, then the construction of the canal will proceed towards Dodhara Chandni," said Mishra, "A canal has been built here, but the water has not flowed, so what can we do if we just build it there?"