The water received in the Gandak canal for wheat crop has reached up to block number 13 of the canal this year. According to Suresh Prasad Sah, Information Officer and Engineer of Narayani Irrigation Management Office Birganj, the water has reached the Bakul area of Rautahat and since this is the right time to irrigate the wheat crop, the farmers are irrigating vigorously.
"Wheat crop does not need as much water as rice crop," he said, "Currently, the Indian side has given 500 cusecs of water in the canal and that is enough for block number 13."
According to the Gandak agreement with India, the Indian side should have given 850 cusecs of water, but he said that since the current water provided is enough, there is no need to demand more water. He said that irrigating the wheat crop only once would be enough.
3 canals namely Doan, Triveni and Tirhut have come out from the barrage at Bhaisalotan, Nepal-India border in Nawalparasi. The two canals travel 92 km in India and enter Nepal from Janki Tola in Jagarnathpur Rural Municipality of Parsa. After entering Nepal, this canal is known as East Canal.
This year, the Indian side gave water to the canal on June 14 during the paddy season. June 15 and For the wheat crop, water should be given in the canal from January 10. India also provided water for the wheat crop at the scheduled time.
The length of the Gandak Canal divided into 15 blocks in Parsa, Bara and Rautahat is 81 km towards Nepal. In 1975 and 1976, the Government of India handed over the Gandak Canal to the Government of Nepal. Although the target is to irrigate 37 thousand 400 hectares of land in three districts namely Parsa, Bara and Rautahat from the Gandak Canal, the water often does not reach the central part of Rautahat.
