Keshav Adhikary

Khalte (Dhading), June 20:

Villagers have set an example by successfully constructing a four-km long canal after failing to get help from different government offices over the past three years. With the completion of Archaletar Irrigation Project at Chipleti Dhunga of Khalte VDC, 350 households in the area have become greatly facilitated. Almost all workable people from the village went to work for the canal for three months. Labour of around one million rupees was collected for the project including Rs 0.15 million from the VDC, Rs 60,000 from Small Irrigation Programme and Rs 1.8 million from the Irrigation Department.

The canal construction has changed the face of 4,000 ropanis of barren land to fertile and cultivable land, said Rishi Jargha Magar, chairman of Canal Construction Committee. He said that when the project started, they did not have anything except the Rs 1.5 million worth of VDC support, but with constant effort from villagers, the project has seen the light of the day. Magar said that the local departments were ashamed of themselves after they saw villagers working day and night for the canal.

However, the construction of Dhading Beensi-Khalte road has been stranded due to the DDC apathy. The construction of a 7-km long road was started with the help of Rs 0.3 million from the local development ministry and Rs 0.1 million from Khalte VDC. The road would have facilitated 8,000 locals of Khalte-1 to 6 but the construction has been left incomplete due to financial constraints. Ram Hari Dhungana, chairman of the road construction committee, said that Rs 0.65 million has already been spent on the road construction while Rs 0.2 million worth of labour has also been donated. The locals of the VDC blamed the DDC for not helping them out due to political reasons.