Bardiya, Aug. 16 -- The Babai Irrigation Project, one of Nepal's national pride initiatives, has provided irrigation facilities to more than 27,300 hectares of farmland, according to project officials.

The long-delayed scheme, which began construction 35 years ago, is now targeting completion by fiscal year 2025-26.

So far, the project has completed 34.5 kilometres of the eastern main canal and 31.6 kilometres of the western main canal, along with 321.5 kilometres of branch and sub-branch canals. It has also acquired 386.79 hectares of land for construction and completed both the head box and siphon structures.

In fiscal year 2024-25 alone, the project achieved 99.84 percent physical progress and 99.70 percent financial progress, spend...