Broken promises and parched farms

Over 200 deep borings in Siraha dried up, making an immediate and disastrous effect on drinking water and irrigation. It is a major problem for the residents of the district, but more irksome to farmers, who suffered a lot due to the extended dry season. Due to this, farmers could not irrigate their fields, and families wasted long hours fetching water. The incident further illustrated that poor planning, lackluster execution, and bad monitoring can turn people vulnerable during a dry spell that intensified throughout Madhesh this monsoon period. Authorities found that most of these borings did not have essential equipment, including transformers and pipelines. Some structures were decades old and had never undergone proper maintenance. In addition, the locals’ reluctance to revitalize the system hindered improvement of these borings, demonstrating that solutions to any problems cannot be resolved without the community’s involvement. Lack of coordination between towns, provincial governments, and the federal irrigation departments created loopholes that made the system vulnerable and undependable. Massive use of river and forest products is also to blame for the water shortage crisis in almost all Madhesh districts. Experts suggest that if the current race of exploitation of the Chure region is not stopped, the Madhesh districts are sure to turn into an arid land.