Overexploited for years, the Chure hills are weakening, and water stress is rising across the Tarai

Groundwater that once lay at 20 to 25 feet is now sinking beyond 110 feet in several parts of the Tarai.

The fragile Chure range, long recognised as the principal recharge zone for groundwater in the Tarai, is steadily losing its ecological function, pushing vast stretches of fertile plains towards an unprecedented water crisis.