Bhadrapur, June 20: The district soil-conservation office, Jhapa has introduced various soil-conservation and income generating measures in local Bahundangi Village Development Committee (VDC) under the natural resources management area assistance programme.
The programme which covers some 5,498 hectares of land in the locality is expected to benefit a population of 31,750 belonging to 1,492 households. Thirty-three community development groups have also been formed for this purpose.
Under the programme, the Pragatisil Community Development Group of Bahundangi-5 has constructed an irrigation project at the cost of Rs 249,000. The project irrigates about 30 bigaha land in the locality.
Similarly, the Laligurans Community Development group has been running 12 adult literacy classes, benefiting 300 illiterate persons in the locality. Most of the beneficiaries are learnt to be the local women. Group loans have also been issued to members for starting goat and pig farming.
The Kande Micro Watershed community development group has started tea plantation in Bahundangi-6. It has planted 50,000 tea saplings. The measure is to protect soil erosion and increase the income of the local farmers.
Likewise, the gichhedhap community development group is learnt to have planted 1,538 beetlenut saplings in the locality while the Badakhal Community Development group has constructed a three-kilometre rural road.
Under the programme, a cause-way has been constructed at the Ghailadubba irrigation canal by the Nawadurga Community Development group at the cost of Rs 16,000.
Similarly, an irrigation dam is to be constructed on the local Telpani stream as part of the programme and embankments have been constructed on the Ninda Khola stream, according to the district soil-conservation office.