Minister Kulman Ghising Inspects Mahakali Irrigation Project

Kanchanpur – Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Physical Infrastructure and Transport, and Urban Development, Kulman Ghising, has stated that necessary initiatives and coordination with India are underway to release water into the canal for irrigation facilities in Kanchanpur from the Tanakpur Barrage.

During an inspection of the Tanakpur Barrage in Brahmadev, Kanchanpur, on Wednesday morning—part of the third phase of the Mahakali Irrigation Project, a national pride project—Minister Ghising mentioned that the issue of water release is being continuously discussed through bilateral meetings, joint mechanisms, and formal correspondence with the Indian side.

He expressed confidence that India would soon decide to release the water, noting that the main canal as well as branch and sub-branch canals have already been constructed on the Nepali side to provide immediate irrigation to approximately 5,000 hectares of drought-affected land in Kanchanpur.

Under the integrated Mahakali Treaty between Nepal and India, Nepal is entitled to receive 300 cusecs of water during the winter and 1,000 cusecs during the monsoon season.

While the infrastructure required to utilize the water and provide irrigation as per the treaty has been completed, the project has faced local criticism for the lack of returns despite an investment of nearly 9 billion rupees. Project officials have also noted that the constructed structures are beginning to deteriorate because the water is not yet flowing.

The Mahakali Irrigation Project aims to provide sustainable irrigation to a total of 33,000 hectares of land—28,000 hectares through surface irrigation and 5,000 hectares through groundwater irrigation. The total estimated cost of the project is 35 billion rupees.