Irrigation potential and development in Nepalby Milan Regmi | 17-06-2018 20:56 |
|---|
|
Irrigation is a major factor in the development of Nepal. It is the largest water use sub-sector, affects the life of many people involved in agriculture, the major contributor (40%) to the Gross Domestic Product and a major factor for maintaining food security in the country. The government, from the very beginning, has wisely recognized this fact and given due importance to irrigation, both in its yearly and five year plans. The tenth five year plan (2002-2007), 9.7% of the total national development budget was allocated to irrigation. Nepal has a cultivated area of 2,642,000 ha (18% of its land area). Out of this, two-third is potentially irrigable. At present, 42% of the cultivated area has irrigation of some sorts but only 17% of the cultivated area has year round irrigation. In the terai, 82% of the total irrigated area is through surface irrigation and the remaining 18% through groundwater. Most of the irrigated areas are situated in the fertile lowlands of the Terai. So, the present focus has been to develop quick yielding small irrigation systems. Despite considerable investments in infrastructure development, the public sector irrigation schemes have been performing below expectations. The irrigation efficiency is around 30%, the crop productivity is stagnant or declining and the problem of system management still remains a issue.
|
