Nepalgunj, October 18

Majority of water pumping machines installed some 20 years ago at various places of Banke district have gone dysfunctional hitting farmers hard in the district.

As many as 102 water lifting machines were installed at different places of Banke then, and most of them are not in operation of late. This has forced farmers to rely on rainfall for irrigation.

“Most of the farmers have been deprived of irrigation facilities due to negligence on part of the authorities concerned, who were entrusted with the responsibility of operating and repairing these machines,” said Laxman Basnet, a local.

The authorities concerned are yet to repair the machines. It is estimated that repairing these machines will cost hundreds of millions of rupees.

Of the 19 deep water pumping machines at Sitapur of Khajura Rural Municiplaity-2, only three are in operation.

Parts of the dysfunctional machines have been stolen.

Nepalgunj Sub-metropolitan City has started repairing 28 water pumping machines on its premises. Sub-metropolis Mayor Dhawal Shumsher Rana said his office had hired technicians from India for the repair work.