Farmers have started to utilise the water released along the 39-km main eastern canal of the Sikta Irrigation Project, a national pride project.

According to the project, water has been released for the farmers along the eastern canal daily from the main dam in Agaiya after its construction was completed recently.

The project had already completed the construction of the 42.25-km-long main western canal and its five subsidiary canals (Akalgharwa, Gohawa, Prasenipur, Pidari-branch and Sidhaniya-branch) and been releasing water for irrigation.

"Now, the construction of the eastern main canal and six of its auxiliary canals have been completed," said Bishal Yadav, senior divisional engineer of the project.

According to Yadav, water has been released in the eastern main canal and its canals – S1 to S4, Phattepur and Rajkulo.

"The release of water in the eastern part will now provide irrigation facility on 4,200 hectares of land in Rapti-Sonari and Narainapur areas throughout the year," said Yadav, who is also the project's information officer.

While the project has now provided irrigation facility in 4,200 hectares of land through the eastern canal and 16,000 hectares of land through the western one, it plans to irrigate a total of 9,000 hectares and 33,766 hectares of land in the east and west respectively.

The contract of the eastern canal was awarded to Kalika-Kumar JV on August 25, 2017, under an investment of over Rs. 3 billion.

"The COVID-19 pandemic affected the work following which we had to request to extend the deadline. We completed the work before the extended deadline concluded," said Sujit Shrestha, director of the construction company.

The construction of the Sikta Irrigation Project by constructing a dam on the Rapti River in Agaiya of Banke district was started from the fiscal year 2004/05.