KATHMANDU: Members of Parliament have drawn the government’s attention to ensure that Nepal gets water for irrigation as per the Gandak agreement.

During today’s emergency hour session of the House of Representatives, CPN (UML) MP Achyut Prasad Mainali pointed out the situation where arable land in the Terai/Madhesh region remains fallow due to the lack of irrigation facilities, and urged all three levels of government to ensure proper irrigation arrangements over there.

He mentioned that farmers in the Terai/Madhesh, which is a major area for farming, are compelled to rely on rainfall for planting.

“By this time, only 35 percent of the planting has been completed. This has created a situation where production will decline in the coming days, leading to food shortages. All levels of government need to coordinate to solve the farmers’ problems,” said MP Mainali.

MP Mainali mentioned that due to not receiving the water as per the Gandak Agreement, 37,000 hectares of arable land based on that canal system has become unproductive. “The Gandak Canal construction started in 2016 and was completed in 2021. Although there was an agreement to receive 850 cusecs of water, only 550 cusecs is being sent now,” he said, “Local authorities are making efforts to implement the issues mentioned in the agreement, but these efforts have not materialized. Nepal has been deprived of the water benefits it should receive from the Gandak Canal.”

Nepali Congress MP Dev Prasad Timalsena highlighted the increasing scarcity of drinking water in the Terai-Madhesh region and urged the government to pay attention to ensure proper water management. “During the month of Ashad, the Terai-Madhesh is dry, planting has not been possible, and farmers lack fertilizers and seeds; the government should also pay attention to this,” he said.

Similarly, Nepal Communist Party (Maoist Centre) MP Devendra Paudel drew the government’s attention to the issue of some Ministers’ audio material regarding bribery transactions. “The Prime Minister must respond in a manner that the public can know immediately,” he said.

Nepal Communist Party (Unified Socialist) MP Methmani Chaudhary urged the government to focus on enhancing the Chakarchauda border point in Mayadevi Rural Municipality, Kapilvastu, to facilitate commercial activities and religious tourism.

Congress MP Maina Karki demanded that the government provide appropriate compensation and relief to the family of Shishu Chand, who died due to electrocution during the expansion of electricity in Nalagad Municipality, Jajarkot.

UML MP Bhagwati Chaudhary stated the need to regulate the ‘visit visa’ and emphasized the importance of protecting the rights of household female workers while opening up foreign employment opportunities.