Once-barren Chitwan fields thrive again after decades

Chitwan, June 24: Tulsi Narayan Shrestha of Simaldhap, Chitwan, stands in his reclaimed farmland where he is now growing seeds for the upcoming paddy plantation.

Pointing to his fields, which were turned into a barren riverbank by a devastating flood on September 18, 1984 (Ashoj 2, 2041 BS), he explained that they are finally able to cultivate paddy again after nearly 42 years.

A annihilating flood in Simaldhap of Ichchhakamana Rural Municipality-7, Chitwan, turned the land into a gravel plain. Since then, Shrestha and other farmers had been unable to cultivate the land.

This long-awaited restoration was made possible through the efforts of the Ranikhola Community Forest and partnerships with organisations like Sahamati and WWF, which helped establish a 1.5-kilometre irrigation canal and bio-embankments to protect the settlement.

Currently, Shrestha and about 32 other local families have reclaimed around 15 to 20 bighas of once-abandoned land, harvesting both Chaite and Barkhe (seasonal) paddy for the first time in decades, informed Parbati Gurung, Vice-chairperson, Ranikhola Community Forest User Group.

Shrestha said, after the flood washed away the fields, the land remained uncultivable for four decades. Although farmers occasionally grew small amounts of maize and vegetables relying solely on rainfall, meaningful agricultural production was impossible.

Now, irrigation has reached his 14 katthas of land, allowing him to produce enough rice to feed his family throughout the year. “We have already harvested the spring paddy. Now we are preparing to plant the monsoon paddy, he said.

Ram Prasad Gurung, secretary of the Ranikhola Community Forest User Group, said restoring the flood-damaged farmland had required years of effort. “After the devastating landslide left the area barren and uncultivated, our first priority was to protect a settlement that was highly vulnerable to flooding. We decided that bioengineering would be the best approach and began work from the initial phase.”

“At the same time, we worked to restore the water source. Instead of lining the stream entirely with concrete, we allowed water to flow naturally into a pond. This helped recharge groundwater and improve vegetation in the surrounding area,” Ram Prasad said.

Today, around one and a half hectares of forest land is covered with healthy khair (Senegalia catechu) trees and other plant species. Every year, the community forest also approves watershed conservation activities through its annual general assembly because protecting the watershed is one of our main priorities.

Besides irrigation and bioengineering, the project has also supported livelihoods. Around 14 to 15 households received plastic tunnels, drip irrigation systems, water tanks, improved seeds and training for off-season vegetable farming. 

The farmers have successfully adopted commercial vegetable production. “About Rs. 800,000 was invested in developing the water source to support these settlement protection measures,” he said.

According to him, Simaldhap has been inhabited since 1915 AD (1972 BS) and lies at the southern edge of the Chure hills. Poor watershed conditions in the Chure had left the settlement highly vulnerable to flooding.

Under WWF Nepal's Triple Benefit Programme, funded by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, technical and financial assistance was provided in collaboration with the President Chure-Tarai Madhes Conservation Development Board, the Division Forest Office and local community members.