Dhankuta, April 11

Thousands of hectares of productive land has turned barren due to lack of irrigation in Sahidbhumi Rural Municipality, Dhankuta.

The rural municipality is adjacent to the Tamor and Arun rivers.

Land in the area is of no use except during the rainy season. The land at Kushetar, Yakchanatar, Belharabesi, Saptingtar, Gopalpur and Saphaitar, which lie on the banks of the Tamor River are unproductive as it is not irrigated.

Similarly, hundreds of hectare land on the banks of the Arun River are infertile. The land lies 30 to 150 metres above the rivers.  According to Water Resources and Irrigation Development Division, Dhankuta, around 2,500 hectare fertile land is unproductive.

Local farmers have to depend on rain water during monsoon.

The infertile land can become productive if water lifting devices are managed.

Locals complained that political leaders and the administration, among other stakeholders, were yet to resolve the problem even though they had conceptualised the idea of irrigation a decade ago.

“The rivers flow near the land, but the fertile land has been unproductive,” said Lal Bahadur Rai, a local. He said locals would benefit if modern technology was adapted.

Meanwhile, Water Resources and Irrigation Development Division, Dhankuta said further procedure for irrigation was on the cards.

Ram Naresh Mandal, chief of the Water Resources and Irrigation Development Division, Dhankuta, said work to irrigate the land had been halted after the authority concerned did not appoint a manager in the office.