Kathmandu, June 16: Chief Whip of the CPN (Maoist Centre), Hitraj Pandey, has presented a proposal on reaching irrigation facilities in Chitwan east and Nawalpur west, constructing a dam on the Trishuli river at Devghat of Chitwan.
Taking part in the discussions on the appropriation headings under the various ministries in the Appropriation Bill, 2081 in a meeting of the House of Representatives today, he argued that agriculture production and employment can be increased by making irrigation facilities available in the cultivable land in the Tarai and hills.
“Let us construct the Budhigandaki dam project and along with this we all should pay attention to resolving the irrigation problem in the Tarai-Madhesh by building a dam in Devghat and supplying irrigation water via canals towards the east of Chitwan and towards the west through Nawalpur,” he suggested.
Stating that irrigation facility should be made available in the plains of the Tarai-Madhesh and the table land in the hills, the Maoist Centre Chief Whip said doing so would help increase the agriculture production and productivity and at the same time creating employment.
He expressed happiness over the increment in the upcoming fiscal year’s budget towards irrigation and also called for ‘digitalization’ of the irrigation system. “Round-the-year irrigation facility should be made available in the cultivable land and the government should pay attention towards recharging the ground water using the local resources,” he added.
Pointing out the need of changing the design itself of all the water resources projects keeping in mind the impact of climate change, Chief Whip Pandey stressed on the need of producing skilled human resources for this.
As he suggested, the project’s design should be done in accordance with the site and weather. He laid emphasis on the need for the government to give attention to increasing the capital expenditure. The Maoist Centre Chief Whip also stressed on using new technologies of energy and transportation as hydrogen energy and pod-well.
