India has pledged to provide a grant assistance of Rs 1,619 crore to Nepal for construction of 350 tube-wells in the southern region of the country.According to an Indian Embassy pressrelease in Kathmandu, an MoU was signed for providing the grant assistance under India-Nepal Economic Cooperation Programme.Though agriculture is the largest sector of the Nepalese economy with 39% contribution to country's GDP, out of total 2.6 million hectares of cultivable land available, only about 1.2 million hectares has irrigation facilities.Siraha, one of the Eastern Terai Districts, is facing acute problem of irrigation due to low rainfall in the area. Shallow Tube Wells being developed with India's assistance would provide all season irrigation facility to over 1,000 hectares of land and would uplift the socio-economic status of farmers by augmenting production of wheat, rice and seasonal fruits and vegetables.