From once-neglected fields to thriving orchards, the community’s resolve to overcome water scarcity and embrace apple cultivation has ignited a transformational journey in Bhurachula, Sirmi village of Tatopani Gaupalika Ward No. 7

Previously hesitant to plant apple trees due to the laborious task of fetching water from distant fields, community members have now enthusiastically embraced apple cultivation as a steady water supply reaches their fields.

When a farmer’s group learned of Pace Nepal’s offer to provide a small irrigation system as part of the disaster risk reduction initiative in Jumla, they rallied their efforts to secure the opportunity. After persistent negotiations, the group and Pace Nepal reached a verbal and written agreement, with Pace Nepal contributing ten katta of cement and around one thousand two hundred meters of pipe, while the group committed to providing labor for pipe installation, sand transportation, and pond construction. Despite the incomplete pond construction, the installation of pipes and the establishment of the intake at the water source enabled the continuous flow of water through the channel. As a result, community members have now taken the initiative to plant apple trees on lands that remained unused for years. The allure of apple farming has gained momentum, with twenty-one farmers currently planting one thousand eight hundred and seventy-five apple saplings, alongside the irrigation of previously planted trees.

This transformation centers around the Bhurachula group, founded in Sirmi of Tatopani Gaupalika Ward No. 7, with the support of Pace Nepal six years ago. The group has since been actively engaged in various initiatives. Recognizing the challenges posed by fallow lands and the lack of irrigation hindering apple cultivation, the group collectively addressed these issues.

Mahesh Kunwar, a resident of Sarmi village, recounts the struggles of previously attempting to grow apple trees using water fetched from streams, resulting in tree loss due to inadequate irrigation. The absence of reliable water sources had kept the land barren for over a century. Although a pond had been constructed by Seda Nepal, its utility was limited. Efforts to establish a water canal for stream water distribution remained incomplete. Despite the arduous labor of manually watering the planted apple trees, the lack of proper irrigation had deterred significant progress.

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