KATHMANDU, July 24: The federal government has declared Madhesh Province a disaster-affected zone, responding to an acute and prolonged drought that has severely disrupted access to drinking water, irrigation facilities, and agricultural activities across the region.
The decision was made during a cabinet meeting held at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Baluwatar. A cabinet minister confirmed that the declaration was prompted by a continued lack of rainfall in all eight districts of the province, which has led to a critical water shortage and posed a serious threat to livelihoods.
Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak tabled the proposal, underscoring that the failure of monsoon rains has hindered groundwater recharge and caused many traditional water sources to dry up. This, in turn, has led to widespread drinking water scarcity and the collapse of irrigation systems in the largely agrarian province.
Prior to the federal cabinet’s move, the Madhesh provincial government had formally requested that the region be designated a disaster-hit area. Acting on this recommendation, the federal cabinet approved the proposal and decided to issue a notice in the Nepal Gazette, thereby legally enforcing the disaster status for a period of three months.
Madhesh province declared disaster-affected zone amid drought c...
According to the Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers of Madhesh, paddy transplantation has been completed on only 46 percent of the total arable land this year—an alarmingly low figure for a province heavily dependent on rice cultivation and monsoon rainfall. The continued drought now threatens to cause a drastic drop in agricultural output.
The government’s declaration is in accordance with Section 14(2)(d) of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act, 2017, which empowers the federal government to declare any region a disaster-affected area based on expert recommendation and local government inputs.
Officials from the Ministry of Finance noted that this declaration opens the way for emergency interventions, allowing the government to fast-track projects, deploy state mechanisms more efficiently, and directly allocate funds to relief and mitigation programs.
Last week, the Madhesh provincial government had already labeled the region drought-hit after failing monsoon rains began severely affecting daily life. Officials say that groundwater levels have dropped significantly in recent years. Where locals once accessed underground water by digging 15–20 feet, they now often need to dig 50–60 feet. In some areas, boreholes as deep as 150 feet are now required to reach usable water sources.
Critics and local residents have blamed the current crisis in part on the government’s slow progress on essential infrastructure projects, especially irrigation systems. Major national initiatives like the Sunkoshi-Marin Diversion and the Sunkoshi-Kamala Irrigation Project have faced significant delays, leaving the region unprepared for the changing climate patterns.
Additionally, government records reveal that 372 drinking water projects in Madhesh Province remain incomplete. Some key projects, such as the Pashupatinagar Drinking Water Project in Mahottari and the Dhangadha Drinking Water Project in Sarlahi, have been stalled for more than 15 years, exacerbating the current crisis.
The disaster declaration is expected to expedite response and recovery measures across the province, but experts warn that without structural investment in long-term water management and irrigation infrastructure, the region will remain highly vulnerable to climate shocks in the years to come.
