Rani, Jamara and Kulariya are Farmer-Managed Irrigation Systems (FMIS) located in Kailali district, Province No.7 with a command area of about 11,000 ha. The systems were constructed by the farmers of Tharu Community in 1896 AD (Rani system), 1903 AD (Jamara system) and 1915 AD(Kulariya system). The RJKIS has three independent canals off taking from Jharahi Nala (River), the western sub-course of the Karnali River, from which the farmers divert water into the canals by constructing temporary diversion works.
The irrigation systems lack intake and control structures to provide reliable and adequate water to the canals. The main problems encountered include uncontrolled flooding during higher flows in the river, erosion of canal banks, and frequent wash out of temporary diversion, poor water distribution and management. However, during the dry period, every year, the farmers have to dig out the channel in the river bed and divert water from the main course using machinery and mostly the manual labour. The water diverted from the Jharahi Nala passes through earthen branch, sub-branch and field canals. Due to lack of flow regulating and control structures, maintenance of canals in all three systems, it was difficult to deliver water to entire net command area (11,000 Ha) of RJKIS. Thus, the major challenge was to improve irrigation water delivery, management, operation and maintenance of RJKIS.
Rani Jamara Kulariya Irrigation Project (RJKIP) Office was established in Tikapur in FY 2066/67 to implement the Project activities. The project started procurement activities for the construction of Intake, main canal and feeder canal along with associated structures on the fund allocated to the project by the GON. In the meantime, GON requested the World Bank (WB) to provide financial support for the Modernization of Rani Jamara Kulariya Irrigation Schemes (MRJKIS) with the objective to improve irrigation water delivery to, and management, in the command area. With the implementation of MRJKIS, the cultivable command area of the project was expected to be increased from 11,000 ha to 14,300 ha.
