Nepalgunj, November 13:

People in Udhrapur are no more depended on Indian market Rupaidiha and Balegaun for vegetable after they have installed Dhiki pumps in their village. They produce fresh vegetables on their own courtyard, thanks to the irrigation facility.

They used to go across the border to buy vegetables as they could not produce vegetables due to lack of irrigation facility in the village. But the situation has changed now after they installed Dhiki pumps with the assistance of the British donor agency Department for International Development (DFID).

Many of them also sell the surplus produce at the local market. The locals said that they used to buy decayed vegetables from Rupaidiha and Balegaun across the border because they had no other option.

“The Dhiki pumps have helped a lot to us,” Meena B K, a housewife said adding that they have now enough vegetable production on their own Karesa bari. Another benefit the locals have from the Dhiki pump is that they are able to store seeds even if there was no enough rainfall.

Gyan Bahadur Oli, a local said that the Dhiki pumps have brought revolution in their lives. “Udharapur’s Shantinagar had irrigation and drinking water problem though it is situated on the banks of Mankhola,” he said adding that 398 Dhiki pumps were distributed under the community assistance programme.