Sustainability Assessment of Labdhu Dhikure Irrigation Project, Likhu Rural Municipality, Khanigaun, Nuwakot.
Student: Yuba Raj Mishra
Supervisor: Dr. Dinesh Sukamani
Submitted Date:
October, 2026
Abstract
Irrigation is the backbone of Nepal's agricultural economy, but the long term performance
of farmer and agency managed irrigation systems is constrained by deteriorating
infrastructure, weak cost recovery, low participation of disadvantaged groups, and growing
seasonal water scarcity. The Labdhu Dhikure Irrigation Project (LDIP) in Likhu Rural
Municipality Nuwakot, also shows these challenges. Constructed in FY 2037/2038 BS and
rehabilitated in 2019 at a cost of NPR 7.77 crore, LDIP serves 1,958 households across 361
hectares of NCA. Despite initial gains in cropping intensity, persistent complaints from
head, middle, and tail end users indicate uneven sustainability.
This study evaluates LDIP's overall sustainability using Mixed Methods. Multi Criteria
Analysis (MCA) framework covering four dimensions: Technical, Socio-Environmental,
Institutional, and Financial disaggregated into 16 factors and their 64 co-factors. Analytic
Hierarchy Process (AHP) using Saaty's 1 to 9 pairwise comparison scale with geometric
mean aggregation and consistency verification (CR ≤ 0.10), elicited weights from an expert
panel. Data were gathered through a household perception survey (n=92, stratified to 26,35
and 31 by head, middle and tail), 12 Key Informant Interviews, four Focus Group
Discussions and field observation. Secondary sources include the LDIP feasibility study
report, DHM records, WRIDD documents, and WUA documents.
As per AHP results, Technical (32.25%) appeared as the most influential dimension,
followed by Financial (25.74%), Socio-Environmental (22.86%), and Institutional
(19.15%). Crop yield, water delivery timeliness, production stability, maintenance
affordability, and canal structural integrity ranked as top co-factors. Tail end branches
consistently underperformed compared to head and middle reaches, with equity and supply
continuity gaps of 40 to 50 percentage. The Composite Sustainability Index is projected at
71.06%, placing LDIP in the "Sustained but at Risk" category. This is driven primarily by
weak financial performance (57.70%), with only 41% of required O&M costs being
recovered.
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Based on the findings, the study recommends installation of calibrated flow control gates, a
formalized rotation roster, digital and strict ISF collection aligned with O&M benchmarks,
women's representation in WUA governance, structured training, and regular
environmental monitoring. These measures could shift LDIP toward fully sustainable
within three to five years.
Keywords
Irrigation, Composite Sustainability Index, Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA), Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), (O&M) cost recovery.