Chitwan farmers resume rice cultivation after 40 years due to flood recovery

Chitwan– It was the last week of the month of Jestha, around 1 PM, with light rain falling. Pointing to the rice seedlings in his brother’s field from the edge of his own, Tulsinarayan Shrestha said, “Here (in the field), we plant rice twice a year, Chaitra and monsoon rice.”

His face lit up as he spoke. For 40 years, he hadn’t been able to plant rice in this field. Now, after four decades, he expressed his happiness at being able to do so.

In 2041 Ashwin, a flood in Simaldhap, Ichchhakamana Rural Municipality-7, Chitwan, turned 36 bighas of registered land into barren land. Since then, Tulsinarayan and others couldn’t farm for 40 years.

Now, farmers in Simaldhap are able to grow rice twice a year. Pointing to the rice seedlings nearby, he said, “This belongs to my brother.”

Pointing to another bed of rice seedlings next to his brother’s, he said, “That bed is mine.”

Since the flood in 2041 Ashwin turned the fields barren, no significant production was possible for 40 years. Although some maize and vegetables were grown sporadically relying on rainwater, Shrestha explained that substantial production was not feasible.

Now, irrigation has reached 14 kathhas of land. With irrigation, he has been able to produce enough rice to feed his family for a year. “The Chaitra rice has been harvested, now it’s time to plant the monsoon rice,” he said.

Ram Prasad Gurung, secretary of the Ranikhola Community Forest Users Group, explained that it took a lot of effort to make the land suitable for rice cultivation again after the flood washed it away.

According to him, the settlement has existed here since 1972. Simaldhap is also the last point of the Chure hills. Due to the lack of Chure conservation, the settlement was at risk of flooding.

To protect the settlement from floods, measures such as bio-engineered embankments, protected ponds, and irrigation source protection have been implemented, along with the construction of over 1.5 kilometers of irrigation canals, Gurung said.

“Around eight lakh rupees have been spent on creating water sources for the protection of these settlements,” he said.

According to him, with financial support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, under the WWF Nepal’s Triple Benefit Program, and with technical and financial assistance, as well as support from the President Chure Conservation and Forest Division and users, rice production resumed on the barren land from 2081.

Currently, approximately 15-20 bighas are being used for rice cultivation, Gurung informed. Besides this, other crops like vegetables are also being produced on other lands, he added.

Additionally, in partnership with WWF Nepal and local organization Sahamati, a four-kilometer fire line has been constructed here, which has helped reduce forest fires.