The 'Aklagharuwa' branch canal under the western main canal of the Sikta Irrigation Project has been completed and brought into operation.

According to Raju Acharya, the Director of the Project, the Aklagharuwa branch canal is one of the seven branch canals under the western main canal.

Farmers in the area have already begun using the canal for irrigating the winter crops.

“We have released water through the branch canal considering the immediate irrigation needs of farmers for winter crops,” said Acharya.

The canal stretches 4.99 kilometres and is developed to irrigate 1,358 hectares of land in the Aklagharuwa area.

The Rs. 117.2 million project was executed by Chandi Sainamaina Ayush JV. Farmers from Ward Nos. 6, 9, 15, and 16 of Kohalpur Municipality, Ward No. 4 of Khajura Rural Municipality and Ward No. 6 of Janaki Rural Municipality are expected to benefit from the canal.

Acharya said that among the seven branch canals under the western main canal, the tender for the Dudhuwa branch canal has recently been awarded while others including Sidhanawa, Pedari, and Tihiriya are under construction.

The Sikta Irrigation Project aims to irrigate a total of 42,766 hectares of land—33,766 hectares through the western main canal and 9,000 hectares through the eastern main canal. The project has also constructed a barrage on the Rapti River at Agaiya in Rapti Sonari-2, Banke.