Madhesh Province Faces Severe Water Crisis, Study Reveals
Summary
A National Assembly committee report says Madhesh Province is facing a severe drinking water and sanitation crisis as groundwater levels fall sharply and many hand pumps dry up. The study blames Chure destruction, climate change, and unchecked groundwater extraction, and warns that short-term tanker supply will not solve the problem.
Key Points
- The Development, Economic Affairs and Good Governance Committee of the National Assembly released a report on the drinking water, sanitation, and water-resource crisis in Madhesh Province.
- Groundwater levels have fallen by two to three meters on average, leaving more than 60 percent of hand pumps dry in the province and as many as 90 percent in parts of Dhanusha.
- The report cites Chure destruction, deforestation, haphazard land use, climate change, and excessive groundwater use for irrigation and industry as the main causes.
- It urges long-term, climate-resilient solutions, including stricter Chure-Bhawar conservation, groundwater regulation, recharge systems, and rainwater harvesting.
