Institutional Development of Department of Irrigation:

The Department of Irrigation (DOI) established in 1951 has been, and still remains, the principal government institution responsible for the planning, development and management of irrigation schemes in the country. Since its establishment, it has undergone organizational reformations a number of times. Initially, it was known as the Department of Irrigation, Hydrology and Meteorology (DIHM), and was under the Ministry of Water and Power. In 1973 the DIHM was shifted to the then Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation; in 1980 it was again bought under the Ministry of Water and Power which became the Ministry of Water Resources thereafter. In December 1987, following a government decision, the DIHM was split into two departments: the Department of Irrigation and the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM). Presently DOI is under Ministry of Water Resources and DHM is under Ministry of Science and Technology. The DOI operates through its Regional Directorates in five development regions and District Irrigation Offices in districts and several Projects.

For about 25 years after its establishment, the DOI carried out irrigation development activities through the Division and Sub-division Offices located at key places in the country until the regional directorates were established during the Fourth Plan period (1975-80). The District Irrigation Offices in all the seventy five districts were opened around 1987-88.

Until December 1987, Irrigation works in the country were carried out by three ministries: Water Resources, Agriculture, and Local Development (previously Panchayat and Local Development). There were significant differences in their respective roles in the various categories of irrigation projects, and each ministry had its own implementation procedures and strategies. Whereas the Ministry of Water Resources took charge of the construction of both large scale irrigation and multi-purpose water related projects, the Ministry of Agriculture carried out construction of new as well as the rehabilitation of existing small irrigation schemes through its Farm Irrigation and Water Utilization Division (FIWUD) created in 1973. As the name applies, the FIWUD also constructed tertiary or farm level physical facilities and water management extension services in large irrigation systems operated by the DOI. Whereas the activities of the FIWUD occurred in both the tarai and hilly areas, the Local Development Ministry was mostly confined to the development of small irrigation schemes in the hill districts. In addition to these two ministries (MOA and MLD), the ministry of forestry and Soil Conservation also implemented small scale hill irrigation schemes in limited areas within their project sites. The coordination between the ministries for irrigation activities was poor. In December 1987, under a decision of the government to implement government funded irrigation projects through one government agency, the irrigation division in the Ministry of Agriculture and the irrigation section in the Ministry of Local Development were transferred to the DOI.

Historical Background of Irrigation Development in Nepal
Most of today's irrigation development in Nepal is the legacy of past policies and planning at the higher level. There are innumerable traditional canal systems built by farmers since time immemorial and are still functioning. In the 17th century, an edict of King Ram Shah stated that irrigation and its management were the responsibility of the community.

The construction of a number of irrigation facilities was directly financed and carried out by the state, Raj Kulos (King's Canals) for example, the day to day operation, maintenance and repairs of such state-built facilities were left to the farmers (water users) and/or the revenue collectors.

The enactment of the 1854 Penal Code ( Muluki Ain) during the Rana period (1846-1951) was a significant landmark in the development and management of canal irrigation systems in the country . This Code provided a legal foundation for canal administration in the tarai region. It made the Revenue Office (Mal Adda) in each tarai district responsible for the construction, operation, and maintenance of irrigation systems within the district. The Chief of the District Revenue Office was legally empowered to mobilize both cultivators and villagers from nearby villages to repair and maintain the irrigation canals within his jurisdiction.

The first effort of the government towards the development of canal irrigation systems in the terai can be said to have commenced in 1920 when the first international negotiation and agreement between Nepal and (British) India over the sharing of Sarda (Mahakali) river water for irrigation and power took place. However, the construction of the Mahakali Irrigation Project did not get under way until 1971. The unique relationship with the British in India during the Rana period shaped not only the use and sharing of water of the common rivers between Nepal and India, but it also led to modern canal irrigation systems being introduced in Nepal. The first modern canal irrigation system in the country the Chandra Canal in the eastern tarai - having a command area of 10,000 hectares was constructed in the years 1922-28 with the assistance of British engineers. In the period 1928-51 a few more canal irrigation systems were constructed by the then Public Works Department (PWD): Jagadishpur in the western tarai in 1942 (command area: 1,000 hectares) renamed the Banganga Irrigation System after being expanded in 1978, and Judha Canal in the central tarai in 1946 (command area: 2,000 hectares) which became known as the Manushmara Irrigation System after being expanded in 1976.

In 1951 the administrative organ for irrigation development (the present Department of Irrigation) was established. The international agreements with India on the use of the Koshi river water in April 1954 and on the Gandak (Narayani) river water in December 1959, both for irrigation and power, led to the beginning of the construction of large scale government canal irrigation systems in the tarai. The irrigation systems constructed under these agreements were essentially constructed in the tarai. In 1957, planned development of irrigation works began with the start of the planned economic development of the country.

Though, the government had recognized the importance of irrigation for increasing agricultural production at this stage the country did not have adequate technical manpower and financial resources to implement large scale irrigation works. Consequently, only a few medium-sized irrigation systems were accomplished during the first five-year plan period (1957-62).

In middle of 1960s, government agencies have been active in the construction and management of new irrigation schemes and in assisting farmer groups to construct or rehabilitate low-cost irrigation systems. Large canal irrigation systems were constructed with assistance from India, but the government implemented the Minor Irrigation Program called Laghu Sinchai in 1966.

The Minor Irrigation Program was introduced in the second three-year development plan (1962-65) to provide low-cost irrigation facilities to farmers within a short period of time. The program included the construction of small wells, irrigation tanks and reservoirs, (lift) pumps and other low-cost and short duration irrigation. Although it was planned to provide irrigation facilities to 4,455 hectares by the end of the Plan period under this program, the actual achievement was insignificant.

The Third Plan Period (1966-70) saw the countrywide implementation of the Minor Irrigation Program with the emphasis on the participation of the beneficiaries.

The government investment in irrigation development - especially in the large-scale irrigation systems in the tarai increased tremendously from 1970 onwards. This was due to the increase in the borrowing of international capital in the form of loans and grants for the country's overall economic development. This is clearly reflected in the surge of irrigation development targets in the subsequent five-year development plans- from the Fourth Plan (1970-75) onwards.

Until the middle of 1980s, irrigation development by the government focused largely on the construction of physical infrastructure of canals and structures, and very little attention was given to the effective management of the completed systems. Attention began to be paid to the improved management of government-operated irrigation systems from 1985 onwards. This is reflected in the implementation of a number of management-oriented projects in 1985-89: the USAID-funded Irrigation Management Project (IMP) in 1985, the Irrigation Line of Credit (ILC) in 1988 financed by the World Bank, the irrigation Sector Project (ISP) in 1988 financed by the ADB, and the Irrigation Sector Support Project (ISSP) in 1989 under the co-financing of the UNDP, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). All these projects have specifically emphasized the participatory approach to irrigation development and management of irrigation facilities. Further, following the introduction of the Basic Needs Program (BNP) in 1987, the working Policy on Irrigation Development for the fulfillment of Basic Needs' was formulated in the early 1989. This was immediately followed by the promulgation of the Irrigation Regulations (IR) in April 1989. These Regulations placed emphasis on the greater collaboration with water users in all phases of irrigation projects - planning, construction, operation and maintenance. The strategy of increasing farmer participation was mainly based on the recognition that government resources alone were inadequate to meet the country's irrigation development objectives and sustain the management of government irrigation systems after their completion. The government expected to increase the rate of irrigation development and develop maximum farmers'/water users' responsibility in the operation and maintenance of completed irrigation systems. The Irrigation Regulations gave water users, for the first time, a legal mandate to form water users' associations in accordance with the 1976 Association Registration Act. It institutionalized the participation of actual water users in irrigation. In 1989, the action plans and policies for the turnover of small irrigation systems and the participatory management of large irrigation systems were formulated.