Kathmandu: Minister for Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation, Deepak Khadka, today inaugurated the Settling Basin constructed under the Nepal Gandak West Canal Irrigation System in West Nawalparasi: The Minister, alongside Binod Chaudhary, the Member of Parliament representing the constituency, jointly inaugurated the infrastructure at a programme organized by the Nepal Gandak Paschim Irrigation Management Office in Semari, Nawalparasi.
According to National News Agency Nepal, Minister Khadka expressed his commitment to resolving the persistent issues of flooding and inadequate irrigation facilities faced by the residents of West Nawalparasi. He highlighted the necessity of embankment construction for six rivers in the region and emphasized the need for adequate funding to address these challenges, reiterating the government’s commitment to meeting these needs.
Binod Chaudhary, representing West Nawalparasi-1 in the Federal Parliament, noted that the new infrastructure is expected to increase the canal’s irrigation capacity by fivefold, which will significantly benefit local farmers. The Settling Basin construction project, completed with an investment of Rs 35 million over two and a half years, addresses the issue of sand accumulation that had previously reduced the canal’s capacity.
Originally constructed in 1982 (Bikram Sambat 2039), the canal had an irrigation capacity of 8,700 hectares. However, due to sand accumulation at the canal head, only 20 percent of this capacity was being utilized. Following today’s inauguration, the Settling Basin will prevent sand from entering the canal, thereby restoring irrigation facilities to cover the full 8,700 hectares of land.