--- title: "Status of irrigation development in Nepal" subject: "Irrigation and Drainage Engineering" chapter: 1 key: "semester_6/irrigation_and_drainage_engineering:irrigation-status-nepal" source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_6/irrigation_and_drainage_engineering/irrigation-status-nepal site: BCT Engineering --- # Status of irrigation development in Nepal Irrigation and Drainage Engineering · Chapter 1: Introduction - Asked in: 2072 Asoj, 5 marks; 2068 Baisakh (old course), 4 marks; 2062 Baisakh (old course), 4 marks; 2075 Baisakh, 4 marks (asked 4 times) - Video: [Irrigation Projects In Nepal || National Pride Projects](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKXLyAsTatI) — SUDIP PAUDEL - Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14 - Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_6/irrigation_and_drainage_engineering/irrigation-status-nepal - Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_6/irrigation_and_drainage_engineering/chapter-1 ## Question Describe the status of irrigation development in Nepal. ## Short answer Nepal has about 2.64 Mha cultivable land, with around 1.3–1.4 Mha having irrigation, but only 0.5–0.7 Mha year-round. Surface canals dominate; farmer-managed systems cover a large share, with major schemes like Sunsari-Morang. Key challenges are low reliability, silt, flood damage, and poor O&M. ## Answer Nepal has about **2.64 million ha** of cultivable land, of which roughly **1.76 million ha** (mostly in the Terai) is considered irrigable by surface and ground water. These figures are approximate and are updated in national plans. #### Present status - About 1.3-1.4 million ha (roughly half of the cultivated area) has some irrigation facility; however, only about 0.5-0.7 million ha gets year-round irrigation. - **Surface irrigation** (canals from rivers) dominates; **groundwater** (shallow tube wells (STW) and deep tube wells (DTW)) irrigates a large area in the Terai. - **Farmer-managed irrigation systems (FMIS)**, such as kulos in the hills, cover a large share of the area; **agency-managed irrigation systems (AMIS)** cover the large Terai schemes. - Main schemes: Sunsari-Morang, Kankai, Narayani (Gandak), Chandra Canal, Rani-Jamara-Kulariya, Mahakali, Banganga, Babai, Bheri-Babai diversion (inter-basin) and Sikta. - The hills have small systems and are developing lift and micro-irrigation (drip, sprinkler). #### Institutions and policy - Department of Water Resources and Irrigation (DWRI) under the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation. - Irrigation Policy 2060 BS, Water Resources Strategy 2002, National Water Plan 2005 and Irrigation Master Plan 2019 (which targets year-round irrigation for all irrigable land). - Management transfer to WUAs and joint management are being promoted. #### Problems Low reliability, silt, flood damage, poor O&M, low cropping intensity (about 150-180%) and limited year-round irrigation. The targets are to extend year-round irrigation, use surface and ground water conjunctively, and upgrade old systems. ## Check yourself The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why. 1. Roughly how much of Nepal's land is cultivable and how much is considered irrigable? A. About 2.64 million ha cultivable and 1.76 million ha irrigable B. About 1.76 million ha cultivable and 2.64 million ha irrigable C. About 10 million ha cultivable and 5 million ha irrigable D. About 0.5 million ha cultivable and 0.2 million ha irrigable Answer: A. The irrigable area, mostly in the Terai, is less than the total cultivable area. (Key point: Irrigable land) 2. What does the status show about year-round irrigation? A. All irrigated land gets year-round water B. Only about 0.5-0.7 million ha gets year-round irrigation though 1.3-1.4 million ha has some facility C. No land gets year-round irrigation D. Year-round area is larger than the area with any facility Answer: B. Many systems supply water only in the monsoon, so reliability is low. (Key point: Year-round irrigation) 3. Which management type is traditional in the hills, such as kulo? A. Agency-managed systems (AMIS) B. Pump-managed systems C. Farmer-managed irrigation systems (FMIS) D. Private company systems Answer: C. FMIS cover a large area in the hills while agency-managed systems cover large Terai schemes. (Key point: FMIS vs AMIS) 4. What does the Irrigation Master Plan 2019 target? A. Only monsoon irrigation B. Closing small hill systems C. Replacing groundwater with canals only D. Year-round irrigation for all irrigable land Answer: D. The plan aims to extend year-round irrigation to all irrigable land. 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