India has pledged to provide a grant assistance of Rs 16.19 million to Nepal for construction of 350 tube-wells in the southern region of the country.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed yesterday between the Embassy of India, Kathmandu and Ground Water Resources Development Board, Ministry of Irrigation, Government of Nepal for providing the grant assistance under India-Nepal Economic Cooperation Programme, according to an Indian Embassy press release.
Though agriculture is regarded as the largest sector of the Nepalese economy with 39 per cent contribution to country's GDP, out of total 2.6 million hectares of cultivable land available in the country only about 1.2 million hectares has irrigation facilities.
Siraha, one of the Eastern Terai Districts is facing acute problem of irrigation due to low rainfall in the area.
Shallow Tube Wells being developed with the assistance of Government of India, would provide all season irrigation facility to some 1,050 hectares of land and would uplift the socio-economic status of farmers by augmenting the production of wheat, rice and seasonal fruits and vegetables.
In the field of irrigation, India is currently providing grant assistance of Rs 110.69 million to Nepal government for construction of 1,000 shallow tube wells in Districts Mahottari and Danusha and 22 Deep Tube Wells in Jhapa, Sunsari, Siraha and Saptari Districts.