KATHMANDU: The paddy plantation has begun with the onset of monsoon season in the country. A total of 1.4 to 1.5 hectares of land in Nepal are cultivated with paddy every year.
The paddy is cultivated mainly in the Terai region. Fifty percent of the total paddy fields are in the Terai region, while the remaining half paddy fields are in hilly region. Though its relatively easier to irrigate farms in the Terai region, the hilly region has a serious problem for irrigation.
Boring facilities and irrigation canals have been built in the Terai region, but the hilly region should depend on rain for paddy plantation, said Mani Ratna Aryal, information officer at the Ministry of Agriculture, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation. “Fifty percent of arable lands do not irrigation problems, while 25 percent land is irrigated by stream waters. But 25 percent of the land depends on rains,” he said.
The Ministry of Irrigation has been urged to build irrigation facilities for fertile lands that do not have sufficient waters.
However, the Ministry of Irrigation has claimed that the government has managed irrigation facilities for all parts of the country. Ramesh Prasad Paudel, information officer at the Ministry of Irrigation, said that Nepal has capacity to provide irrigation facilities for 1.7 million hectares of land. “The irrigation facilities are available in this way. We have been working to manage irrigation for all land. Boring facilities have been installed in Terai while streams are diverted for irrigation in the hilly region,” said Paudel, pointing an example of Bheri-Babai diversion dam.
Though infrastructure facilities have been built in the hilly regions, there is not enough water in the streams, according to Paudel. “We have lifted water for irrigation in such areas by using electricity or solar energy where necessary,” he said.
If 60 percent of the rains occur during July, paddy plantation will take place in all areas. If rainfall is less than 60 percent, then 25 percent of land will remain barren, said Aryal. “We can predict the real situation after two weeks how much land will be cultivated this time,” he said. “However, rain is regular this time since the pre-monson. So draught is almost impossible this year,” he claimed.
Last year, only 65 percent of the land was cultivated with paddy, which is less than 20 percent compared to the previous year. “The rain was irregular in the middle of monsoon season last year. So 20 percent of the land remained barren. But the floods damaged everything later,” he added.
