Ghising confident water soon for Mahakali Irrigation Project

KATHMANDU: Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation Minister Kulman Ghising has expressed confidence that water will soon be available from the Tanakpur Barrage for the Mahakali Irrigation Project.

The minister made the remarks while inspecting the physical progress of the project’s third phase in Brahmadev, Kanchanpur, on Wednesday.

Minister Ghising said that necessary coordination with India is ongoing to ensure timely water release. “Discussions and communications are continuously taking place through bilateral mechanisms between the two countries regarding the release of water,” he stated. “With the main and branch canals on the Nepal side already constructed, we are confident that the decision for water release from India will follow soon.”

Under the integrated Mahakali Treaty between Nepal and India, Nepal is entitled to receive 300 cubic meters per second (cusecs) of water during the dry season and 1,000 cusecs during the monsoon for irrigation purposes.

The necessary structures on the Nepal side have already been completed to utilize this water.

While approximately 5,000 hectares of drought-prone land in Kanchanpur are ready for immediate irrigation, farmers are currently dependent on rainwater due to the absence of water in the main canal.

The project has already seen an investment of around Rs 9 billion.

Despite the significant investment, locals have criticized the delay in realizing the project’s benefits, and prolonged inactivity has started to damage the constructed structures.

Once fully operational, the Mahakali Irrigation Project aims to provide sustainable irrigation to 33,000 hectares—28,000 hectares through surface irrigation and 5,000 hectares through groundwater irrigation.

The total estimated cost of the project is Rs 35 billion.

Minister Ghising emphasized that the government is taking results-oriented measures to ensure farmers receive the benefits of the completed structures as soon as possible.