By Gokarna Dayal, Baitadi, Aug. 1: The people's representatives at the local levels of Nepal and India jointly celebrated Saune Pandhra in Nepal planting paddy seedlings and having rice pudding together at Tirkhadeni in the border district of Baitadi.

Saune Phandhra (15th of Saun month as per Hindu lunar calendar that fell on July 30 this year) is marked by having rice pudding.

It was for the first time that the local representatives of the two neighbouring countries have come together to celebrate the festival here and this coincided with the occasion of paddy plantation at Tirkhadeni using water from the Mahakali River by means of water lifting.

The plantation ceremony was attended by the mayor of Dasharath Chand Municipality, Narendra Singh Thapa, and president of Baltadi Gram Assembly of Pithoragarh District of India, Gopi Ram and a member Umesh Chand Bhatta, among other local representatives from both sides.

Elated for having been able to carry out paddy plantation with water from the Mahakali River due to installment of water lifting system, the locals of Tirkhadeni felicitated the local representatives of both the countries and the officials of the agency which installed the water lifting system.

A local woman farmer, Shanti Buda, shared her happiness that now farming could be run for four seasons due to the lift irrigation.

Buda said that the farming used to be twice a year in the past which was dependent upon seasonal rainfall.

Mayor of Dasharath Chand municipality Narendra Singh Thapa thanked the Rural Development and Environment Management Society (RUDES), a local social institution, for support in the construction of the irrigation project. He informed that the irrigation project was completed with the technical assistance of the RUDES in addition to the Rs. 15 lakh provided by the municipality.

The Executive Director of RUDES, Govinda Raj Joshi, said that supplying water in the villages of Nepal through lift irrigation was challenging

President of Baltadi village assembly of Pithoragarh district of India, Gopi Ram said that it was amazing to see the lift irrigation facility for farming in the barren field of Nepal for round the year.

President Gopi Ram said,"Neighbouring nation Nepal has irrigated the barren land. This will be inspirational for the residents nearby the Mahakali bank across the border. We will learn from Nepal."

Vice President of Nepali Congress Baitadi, Chatur Bahadur Chand, expressed happiness over the completion of the project and emphasized its sustainability.