Kanchanpur. KATHMANDU: Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Physical Infrastructure and Transport, and Urban Development Kulman Ghising has said necessary initiative and coordination is underway with India to release water from Tanakpur Barrage to Nepal for irrigation facility.

Inspecting the Tanakpur Barrage at Brahadev of Kanchanpur under the Mahakali Irrigation Project (third phase) this morning, Minister Ghising said continuous discussions and communication were also being held with the Indian side regarding the issue of releasing water from the country.

He expressed his confidence that the Indian side would take a decision to release water from the Indian side as the main canal, branch canals and subsidiary canals have been constructed on the Nepali side to provide irrigation facility to around five thousand hectares of land in Kanchanpur.

According to the Integrated Mahakali Treaty between Nepal and India, Nepal will get three hundred cusecs of water during winter and one thousand cusecs of water during the rainy season.

Structures have been built to provide irrigation facilities by utilizing water as per the treaty. There has been criticism locally for not getting results even after investing around Rs 9 billion. According to the project, the structures constructed have started deteriorating due to lack of water.

The Mahakali Irrigation Project aims to provide sustainable irrigation facility to 33,000 hectares of land, including 28,000 through surface and 5,000 ground irrigation. The total estimated cost of the project is Rs 35 billion