KATHMANDU: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Tuesday inaugurated the Rani Jamara Kulariya Irrigation Project in Kailali, making it the fifth National Pride Project to be officially completed.

With a 120-year history, it is Nepal’s largest farmer-managed irrigation system, initially covering 11,000 hectares.

The project includes the Rani, Jamara, and Kulariya irrigation systems, now modernized under a three-phase upgrade that began in the fiscal year 2009/10.

The recently completed second phase, supported by the World Bank, expands irrigation to 34,300 hectares, benefiting over 142,000 people in 23,622 households.

Key infrastructure includes automated intake gates, canals, 120 km of rural roads, river control works, and three bridges.

The third phase aims to extend coverage to an additional 20,300 hectares by the fiscal year 2028/29, also with World Bank assistance.