12 Tharu villages work in tandem to keep 20-km irrigation canal flowing

Generations of farmers in Bhajani, Kailali rely on voluntary labour to repair and dredge the canal that sustains their agriculture.

As the clock edged towards 10am, a member from nearly every household in Bhajani stepped out carrying a hoe. The meeting point had been fixed the previous day. From different directions, men and women walked towards the canal, some with tools balanced on their shoulders, others gripping them tightly in their hands.