The Kumal community residing in Maidi VDC Pipaltar is a happy lot to be able to access irrigation water in their farms. The community was deprived of the irrigation water some 20 years back. FIAN Nepal including Right to Food Network, Dhading, UMN and other NGOs supported the community in their struggle to access irrigation water. Traditionally, Kumal communities made clay pots as a livelihood option but agriculture was their main occupation. The deprivation of irrigation water resulted in low agriculture production forcing the youths from the village to migrate to other parts of the country and also abroad to make the ends meet. The ones who did not migrate started working as wage labours in the nearby villages.An irrigation canal was constructed in 1992 for pipaltar village. But within a year the upper caste people living in majuwatar village, neighboring to Pipaltar diverted the water flow into their village. They took complete control of the irrigation water leaving the farms in Pipaltar high and dry. As a result, Kumal community had to depend on monsoon rains for their agriculture. Consequently, Pipaltar was in short supply of water for irrigation making their agriculture lands barren. The food security and hunger increased gradually, in the area from which Kumal community was severely affected.
We were really in injustice. We didn’t even know about our rights. FIAN Nepal and Right to Food Network representatives oriented us about our rights and taught us how to claim our rights. We formed a struggle committee and organized to raise our voice and to claim our rights. After 20 years, we have been able to restore our rights of water for irrigation.
– Ful Maya Kumal
Right to Food Network (RtFN), Dhading and UMN jointly raised the issue and FIAN Nepal took it as a a casework since 2009. Series of orientations, stakeholder meetings, struggle committee formation and their capacity strengthening, delegation, submission of demand letter to various government line agencies were conducted by FIAN Nepal in collaboration with various oganizations.
After a series of interventions, people of Majuwatar were forced to let the irrigation water flow in Pipaltar village. The Kumal community started to receive water since February 2011. Eventually, the discriminated Kumal community has been able to restore their rights. Dhading District Development Committee and JCDS provided financial support for the repairs and maintenance of irrigation canal and the community themselves contributed free labour to renovate the weak irrigation canal. After getting sufficient water for irrigation, the agriculture production in the village has increased. Before, the community was consuming ‘Nutrella, a textured vegetable protein (TVP) made from soybeans’ as their daily vegetable from the market, but nowadays, they are consuming different seasonal green vegetables. Not only that, they are also able to sell their products in market and are saving money in local cooperatives.
An excursion visit inspired them to organize themselves in a group. Kumal family members are associated in Sagarmatha, Laligurans and Manakamana Farmers group which supports and helps them to solve their individual problems in a group. Another visit of commercial farming to various parts of Dhading district motivated them to take up commercial farming and to explore the market for their products.
After our rights restored and irrigation canal renovated, we have been able to get sufficient water to irrigate our lands. Our agriculture products have been doubled since then. We have been cultivating seasonal vegetables, potato, wheat, winter crops as well as some cash crops and selling them in the market.
– Lal B. Kumal
The Kumal community has formed 7 member Irrigation Water Users Group which is headed by Ms. Ful Maya Kumal and now has been able to implement their own ‘People Led Development Plan’ in cooperation with different organization including FIAN Nepal.
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