DHORPATAN (BAGLUNG), Jan 11: Only 15.15 per cent of the arable land in the district has irrigation facilities.

KATHMANDU, Oct 3: Minister for Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation, Shakti Bahadur Basnet, has directed the concerned bodies to make preparations to implement the 'Energy Development Roadmap and Action Plan-2080'.

BHARATPUR, May 28: Irrigation has been provided to 3,360 bighas of land in the past three years in Chitwan district through deep and shallow tube-wells.

BAJANI , March 22: Over a decade into construction, the national pride Rani-Jamara-Kulariya irrigation project has been moving forward slower than a snail. It has reached the completion of only less than 50 percent construction when the deadline nears expiry. The deadline will expire in the next fiscal year, 2023/24. The project funded by the World Bank aims to irrigate a total of 38,300 hectares of land.

MORANG, July 12: Farmers of the province are facing the same problem every year during the paddy transplantation season. The farmers, who have been demanding timely fertilizers and adequate irrigation for years, have received nothing but assurances.

Nepal exports agricultural commodities worth USD 200 million each year, and imports produce worth about five times as much. While nearly 70 percent of Nepal’s total imports of agricultural commodities—cereals, vegetables, and fruits—come from India, this has not always been the case. Until the 1980s, Nepal was a net exporter of agricultural commodities. Even today, if agricultural land in the Tarai plains—known popularly as the granary of Nepal—is optimally utilized, the country’s agricultural production can increase manifold to offset the current trade deficit. About 600,000 hectares (ha) of irrigable land in the Tarai are unirrigated and completely dependent on rainfall. If Nepal uses its groundwater resources to irrigate these lands, it will help bolster food security and lead to socio-economic benefits for the country.

Using the sun to dry crops and grain is one of the oldest applications of solar energy in agriculture. These days, solar energy can be used in agriculture in a number of ways. It saves money, increases self-reliance, and reduces pollution. Solar panels can be used to power an irrigation pump which can then be used to pump water for irrigation. Solar dehydrators are another type of solar technology used in the agriculture industry. Solar drying equipment can dry crops faster and more evenly than leaving them in the field after harvest. Solar energy can help farmers reduce their costs and improve their efficiency and self-reliance. That is why many farmers around the world prefer to implement solar technologies on their farms. Solar farming is not only cost effective but also environment-friendly and reliable. Use of solar energy can also be helpful for reducing the drudgery of women farmers.

BIRENDRANAGAR, Sept 11: Karnali is the largest province of the country in terms of area. However, only 11.85% of the total area of this remote province is cultivable.

BARDIYA, Aug 12: Work of Bheri Babai Diversion Multipurpose Project has been affected as its proposal to test the project’s tunnel and provide irrigation facility to farmers by putting in place pumping and lifting technology gathers dust at the Department of Irrigation.

BANEPA, July 22: An incessant rain-triggered landslide has buried a canal which has been used by farmers of Panauti municipality-11, Balthali of kavrepalanchowk to irrigate their land.

TIKAPUR, July 18: At a press conference organized on Tuesday, Minister for Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation Barsha Man Pun stated that Rani Jamara Kulariya Irrigation Project based in the far-western district of Kailali has come into operation. But reports from the field refute the minister's claim.

BAJURA, June 30: Paddy plantation has been completed by only 30 per cent due to lack of rain in Bajura. By Asar 15, i.e. today, majority of the plantation should have been completed.

JANAKPUR, June 18: The government of Province 2 has prioritized infrastructure development, irrigation and education sectors in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year – FY2019/20.

KAILALI, April 21: Amid rising import of fine scented rice from India, Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture, and Cooperative of Sudur Paschim Province has endeavored to promote rice farming in the region by providing farmers with subsidy on seed and fertilizer, and improving irrigation facilities.

GORKHA, April 18: Construction of Palungtar Kundurtar Irrigation Project has resumed after a gap of 14 years. Construction of the canal, which can irrigate around 500 hectors of land had started in 2002 but was grounded the same year.

Your daily dose of missed important news of the day.

KATHMANDU, Oct 26: The government has brought a strategy of providing irrigation facility on additional 44,500 hectares area in the next three years.

BARDIYA, Aug 4: At a time when the failure of an ambitious national pride project – Sikta Irrigation Project – has been drawing the headlines, another important project, Bheri-Babai Irrigation Project, shares a similar fate. Even after three decades, it has shown no real progress except for some works on tunnel construction.

KATHMANDU, July 31: Ahead of every election, the Sikta Irrigation Project dominates the electioneering. But all the poll contestants conveniently sideline the project once the election is over.

NEPALGUNJ, July 25: The main canal of the multi-billion rupees Sikta Irrigation Project has broken down again on Monday night. The project, which is one of the high priority projects of the government, broke down while undergoing quality check.

DHANGADHI, July 1: Around two-thirds of the arable land in Province 7 does not have irrigation facilities. The other problems that farmers are facing include lack of improved seeds and fertilizers, according to Hema Raj Panta, a professor at Kailali Multiple Campus, Kailali.

BUTWAL, May 23: Just a few months ago, many cattle of Tilottama Municipality-15 of Rupandehi district fell ill after drinking water from a canal near the village. Locals said some goats even died after drinking the water.

BARDIYA, April 26: Irregularities in valuation of land to be acquired for the Babai Irrigation Project have surfaced.

SAPTARI, April 8: The first irrigation system, Chandra Irrigation System, was established by the Rana regime in 1920s. The then Rana Prime Minister, Chandra Shamsher is reported to have been so much interested by the infrastructures in England that upon his return he constructed many crucial infrastructures. The Chandra Irrigation System, was one of them.

KAPILVASTU, April 2: The construction works of two irrigation projects in Kapilvastu Municipality in Kapilvastu district have been started at once.

SIRAHA, April 1: What a farmer really wants is better irrigation for his land. For Mukti Lal Singh, 55, of Bandipur, a remote village in the western part of the district, a river is not far from his wheat fields.

SIRAHA, Feb 21: Raaslal Yadav, 82, of Bariyarpatti in Siraha does not have high expectation from his provincial government. He has only one expectation - better irrigation facility.

MUSIKOT, Jan 21: A lift irrigation project is going to be constructed at Ambachaur of Chaurjahari Municipality-3, the first of its kind in the area.

KATHMANDU, August 17: Flooding has severely damaged 135 major irrigation projects in the country. The damaged irrigation projects  include 15 major irrigation systems such as the Bagmati Irrigation Project, Narayani Irrigation System and  Nepal Gandak West Canal, according to preliminary estimates made by the Ministry of Irrigation.

PARBAT, July 17: Tek Bahadur GC of Mallaj of Jaljala Rural Municipality is happy that a four-decade old irrigation project is finally being completed. But he is equally worried at the sustainability of the project as the Irrigation Development Sub-Division will withdraw from the project once it is completed.

GORKHA, July 5: Tara Bahadur Magar of Pokharatar in Ajirkot Rural Municipality-4 is busy preparing his field to plant rice.

PARBAT, June 27: More than a dozen irrigation projects in Parbat have not moved ahead because of a new working procedure prepared by the Department of Irrigation (DoI) which goes against the Public Procurement Act (PPA).

SARLAHI, JUNE 3: The Bagmati Irrigation Project, which was conceived nearly four decades ago with the aim of providing irrigation facility in central Tarai as well as generating electricity, has not made much progress, apart from the setting up of its offices.

JUMLA, Jan 30: Snow-fed irrigation ponds installed in Jumla district have managed to collect considerable amount of snow due to the recent snowfall. Farmers would be able to use the pond for irrigation purpose.

JAJARKOT, Jan 23: The local villagers of Majkot – 6 have been deprived of irrigation facility after someone stole the pipe of the irrigation project.

KATHMANDU, Jan 19: Minister for Irrigation Deepak Giri and Indian ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae jointly inaugurated Nepal-Bharat Friendship Irrigation Project in Kathmandu on Wednesday.

BHADRAPUR, Nov 26: Around 80 per cent of the construction works of the Kisne Stream Embankment Irrigation Scheme based in Gauradaha VDC of Jhapa is almost over.

KATHMANDU, Sept 22: Minister for Irrigation, Deepak Giri has suffered cardiac arrest.

KATHMANDU, Sept 13: Minister for Foreign Affairs Prakash Sharan Mahat, who is on a India visit, requested Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to take initiatives for effective implementation of the agreements reached between Nepal and India in the past.

KATHMANDU, July 6: The budget allocated district-wise for irrigation and coping with water-induced disasters in the next fiscal year has been increased disproportionately in Saptari, home district of Minister for Irrigation Umesh Yadav. He was elected from Saptari constituency no. 3 on a CPN (Maoist Centre) ticket.

PHALEBASH (Parbat), July 3: An irrigation canal known as the first and oldest in Dhaulagiri zone collapsed due to incessant rainfall on Saturday morning.

PHALEBASH (Parbat), July 3: An irrigation canal known as the first and oldest in Dhaulagiri collapsed due to incessant rainfall on Saturday morning.

BANKE, June 29: The main canal of multi-billion Sikta Irrigation Project has broken down on Tuesday, leading to substantial rise in water level at Jhijhari River in Banke district.

KATHMANDU, June22: Ministry of Irritation has formed a team of 7 members to monitor the flood and landslide that heavy rainfall has started triggering.