KATHMANDU, July 23: The government has decided to declare Madhesh Province a disaster-affected zone, following prolonged drought conditions that have severely impacted drinking water, irrigation and agriculture.
A cabinet meeting held at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Baluwatar made a decision to this effect. A cabinet minister said that the move follows continued lack of rainfall in all eight districts of Madhesh province during the monsoon season, leading to an acute shortage of water.
The whole of New South Wales is in drought. This is what it loo...
The proposal was submitted by Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, highlighting that insufficient rainfall has led to poor groundwater recharge and drying of water sources. The resulting scarcity has affected drinking water access and disrupted irrigation systems in the region.
Earlier, the Madhesh provincial government had recommended that the federal government declare the region a disaster-affected area. With this concurrence, the cabinet decided to publish a notice in the Nepal Gazette, formally enforcing the declaration for a period of three months.
According to the Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers of Madhesh, Paddy has been planted on only 46 percent of the total arable land in the province this season. As agriculture in the region depends heavily on the monsoon, the lack of rain threatens a significant decline in crop yields.
The move aligns with Section 14(2)(d) of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act, 2017, which allows the government to declare disaster-affected zones upon recommendation.
