The Sector Irrigation Project (SIP) currently running in the eastern and central parts of the country is being taken as top priority by the government. Recently the government has decided to continue with the third phase of the work, even though the second phase is yet to be completed satisfactorily.

The second phase is reported to be compled in the next two months. However, it is the third phase that has now become the matter of talks throughout the district. It is learnt that in order to launch it, the concerned sector has been carrying out studies since last year.

SIP sponsored by Asian Development Bank (ADB), one of the major donor agencies to Nepal, is reported to have been implemented in different 35 districts throughout the country. SIP has also been receiving support from local people and the government during the second phase.

Initially the whole amount invested in the project was $33.3 million, of which $25 million had been invested by ADB. The other $4.2 million and $4.1 million were gradually invested by the government and local people.

Meanwhile, talking to The Himalayan Times the coordinator of chief department of SIP Ajaya Pokhrel said that even for the third phase, an agreement between SIP and ADB had already been established. “In connection with the continuity of the project we have talked several times to the authorized body of ADB and they showed a positive response to each and every part of our dialogue,” added Pokhrel.

He also assured that the third phase will run from next July. So far, for the supervision of the last part of the second phase, a group of technical assistants will be coming to the region in the near future.

The project should have been more people oriented, but unfortunately it doesn’t seem to be so, since it is yet to be free from corruption.

Though it was targeted that 41,502 hectares of land would be irrigated under the second phase, it has not reached the 80 percent of the target. About 20 small irrigation projects were run under the second phase in Sunsari district, where six of them were found to be failing.

At the same time, Shyam Nararyan Rajdhami chairman of Baklauri Village Development Committee (VDC) said that since the water could not reach the canal made by the SIP at his VDC, they had been compelled to visit a branch office with a delegation of local farmers. But they had not been given the response they should have received.

Likewise, the same problem was also evident at VDCs like Jalpapur, Paschhim Kusaha, Bharaol and Haripur, including Ithari municipality of Sunsari district.

Besides, the budget allocation of the SIP is influenced by politics rather than doing something as demanded by the local farmers. And while selecting the areas to launch the activities of the project is also found to be affected by political pressure.

Similarly, at the matter of dealing with contractors there occurs corruption, complain the farmers. Regarding to this matter, Pokhrel, coordinator of SIP refuses so. It is nothing but just a rumour, he says. Each and every function of the project is done in the favour of the people and transparent.

The second phase of the project should have been completed before but some parts of the project are yet to be completed due to present condition of the country. After the state of emergency was imposed in the country, the project is also facing some unwanted inconvenience in its completion.

It is learnt that under of 20 years Permanent Policy of Agriculture (APP), the government is committed to do its function for the development of agriculture sector by irrigating 6,12, 000 hectares of land throughout the country by 2015-16 fiscal years. However, the SIP is considered as of high priority.

The Sunsari-Morang Irrigation Project sponsored by World Bank (WB), largest irrigation project in the country, is also suffering from the same problem and is yet to be free from the backbiting of the people. As a result, the WB is going to withdraw its sponsorship from the project, says a reliable source.