Laxmichandra Bista, chairperson of the Dhaulapani Lift Irrigation Construction Users Committee, said that lift irrigation has brought happiness to the faces of farmers.
What you should know
After the construction of the Dhaulapani Lift Irrigation System in Dhaulapani, Tatopani Rural Municipality-6, Jumla, cultivation has begun on barren land. Due to the lack of irrigation, about 7.5 hectares of land was barren. Now, after the water of the Tila River is lifted and reaches the farmland, apple orchards have been built, along with seasonal and non-seasonal farming, as well as barley, wheat and beans.
The Dhaulapani Lift Irrigation Project was jointly inaugurated on Monday by Norwegian Ambassador Dagni Myos and Tatopani Rural Municipality Chairman Nanda Prasad Chaulagain. Tatopani Rural Municipality Chairman Chaulagain said that lift irrigation is linked to the prosperity of Tatopani.
Now that irrigation is available, work on managing apple orchards has begun. Farmers have started cultivating vegetables by building greenhouses. Local Bhakta Bahadur Bista said that after the irrigation system was established, the need to carry water from the river to the canal has been eliminated. He said, ‘Earlier, the land was barren. Farmers who wanted to establish apple orchards were carrying water from the river to irrigate. But now water has reached the fields. Farmers have received great relief.’
Farmers who were previously getting less production are now hoping to get more production. The land that used to dry up due to lack of water sources will now be green.
This irrigation project is expected to irrigate 7.5 hectares of land. Currently, Batuli Sarki of Tatopani-6 Dhaulapani is busy most of the time in her fields. She is engaged in irrigating the garden and growing seedlings of seasonal vegetables. She said that she sells the vegetables she grows from nearby Lamra village to the district headquarters, Khalanga.
Laxmichandra Bista, chairman of the Dhaulapani Lift Irrigation Construction Consumers Committee, said that lift irrigation has brought happiness to the faces of farmers. He said, ‘Farmers were not able to cultivate due to lack of water. Now, the irrigation needs of farmers are being met by reaching the fields.’
This lift irrigation work, which started on Chaitra 22, 2080, was completed on Asad 25, 2081. The farmers had been irrigated with this water continuously for a year. This project has provided relief to 145 farmers from 35 households.
This project was built at a total cost of Rs. 5,761,232. Of which Rs. 5,487,600 is invested in renewable energy projects for the agri-food system. Tatopani Rural Municipality has invested Rs. 3,524,711. UNDP started this project with the support of the Government of Nepal and the Government of Norway.
