Pancheshwar Rural Municipality is preparing to draw water from the Mahakali River to irrigate 1,200 ropanis of farmland.

For this, the municipality has initiated the preparation of a Detailed Project Report (DPR).

Due to the lack of irrigation facilities, farmers in Ollo (Nearer) and Pallo (Farther) Bohora of Binayak village, Pancheshwar Rural Municipality-4, have long relied on rainfall for cultivation. Despite the Mahakali River flowing nearby, locals have had to depend on rainwater for farming.

To address this issue, the municipality aims to implement a lift irrigation project, said Gorakh Bahadur Chand, Chairperson of Pancheshwar Rural Municipality.

He said that the DPR work is being carried out with the support of the Rural Development and Environment Management Society (RUDES), a social organisation working in the agricultural sector. RUDES had previously completed a lift irrigation project in Tirkhadeni village of Dasharathchand Municipality-10 by drawing Mahakali’s water.

Govinda Raj Joshi, Executive Director of RUDES, said that the DPR process is progressing in coordination with the rural municipality. According to preliminary measurements, the river water needs to be lifted to a height of 375 metres.

Joshi said that the project involves installing a 10-horsepower electric motor, constructing two tanks with a capacity of 50,000 cubic metres each and laying four-inch diameter pipes to bring water to the fields.

Birendra Chand, a local, shared that despite being fertile the land along the Mahakali River often remain barren during dry seasons due to insufficient rainfall. He added that the community had repeatedly requested irrigation support from the rural municipality and relevant organisations and this time their plea has finally been heard. With the DPR underway, locals are hopeful that the irrigation project will soon materialise.

According to Chand, the rural municipality has initiated the irrigation project in response to community demands. He estimated that the initial phase of the project would require a minimum investment of Rs. 2.5 million. The first phase aims to bring water to Binayak, with plans to extend the supply to the municipality centre in Aamachaur in the future.

“If the budget allows, we plan to take Mahakali’s water from Aamachaur to Kulau,” said Chand. “We have also sought support from the federal and provincial governments. Our ultimate goal is to harness Mahakali’s water to make Pancheshwar green and fertile.”

Due to climate change, many local streams are drying up, making Mahakali’s water the only sustainable alternative for drinking water and irrigation, emphasised the local representatives.

By Gokarna Dayal