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After nearly two decades of construction, the Sikta Irrigation Project—one of Nepal’s national pride projects—has crossed the halfway mark, recording 51 percent physical progress and renewing hopes that it could finally be completed within the next five years.

Spread across Banke district, the ambitious irrigation scheme was launched in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2005/06 with the goal of transforming agriculture in the western Tarai by providing year-round irrigation to tens of thousands of hectares of farmland. However, repeated delays, design revisions and rising costs have pushed the project far beyond its original timeline.

Project Director Raju Acharya said construction activities have gained momentum following a recent government directive to expedite work and complete the project within the newly revised deadline. “If there are no shortages of budget and manpower, all remaining infrastructure can be completed within the next five years,” Acharya said.

According to the project office, around Rs 24 billion has already been spent, while physical progress has reached 51 percent. Alongside regular maintenance, the current focus is on accelerating unfinished structures and canal networks.

The project centers on a 317-meter-long barrage across the Rapti River at Agaiya in Rapti Sonari Rural Municipality, Banke. Once completed, it is expected to provide irrigation facilities to 42,766 hectares of agricultural land, significantly boosting farm productivity in the region.

The project's journey, however, has been marked by shifting targets and escalating costs. The original master plan, approved in FY 2007/08, envisioned completion within six years at an estimated cost of Rs 12.8 billion. As construction progressed, additional components—including the Eastern Main Canal designed to irrigate another 9,000 hectares—were incorporated, expanding both the scope and budget.

A revised master plan approved in FY 2014/15 increased the project cost to Rs 25.02 billion and set a new completion target of FY 2019/20. That deadline also passed without the project's completion.

According to Manoj Kumar Sah, information officer of the project, a new master plan has now extended the deadline to FY 2032/33 and revised the total estimated cost to Rs 52.89 billion.

Despite the delays, construction of key canal systems has continued. The 45-kilometer Western Main Canal has already been completed, while branch canals at Sidhaniya, Akalgharuwa and Guruwagaun are nearing completion. Construction of the Dudhuwa branch canal is ongoing.

Sah said work on branch, sub-branch and distributary canals has been intensified, with tenders invited for 30 additional contracts to speed up implementation.

Progress during the last fiscal year was notable. Under the Dudhuwa Irrigation System, around 9.5 kilometers of canals were constructed, including branch, sub-branch and distributary canals on both the eastern and western sides. The project also built 7.5 kilometers of embankments and acquired 5.5 hectares of land to protect and conserve the irrigated area.

For farmers in Banke, the project's completion could be transformative. Yet, after two decades of missed deadlines and rising costs, the challenge now is not just building canals and embankments but ensuring that one of Nepal's most ambitious irrigation projects finally delivers on its long-promised potential.