Monsoon Reaches Mid -Way;Madhesh awaits ample rainfall for plantation

Due to uneven monsoon rains, water shortages in various districts of Madhesh and Lumbini provinces have disrupted daily life and rice planting.

With the planting season nearing its end, only about 30% of the rice fields in Madhesh have been sown.

Despite forecasts of above-average rainfall, many fields are experiencing cracked soil, raising concerns among farmers.

Madhesh province, covering 372,645 hectares of rice farmland, has seen planting on just 94,000 hectares so far, with as low as 10% in Saptari and 62% in Parsa, where even drinking water is becoming scarce.

Water shortages have also affected drinking supplies in Birgunj and surrounding areas, prompting local lawmakers to urge government action.

Historically, severe droughts hit the Terai region every 20-25 years, with major events in 1950, 1972, and 1992.

The current drought has led Madhesh province to declare a drought-affected zone and request immediate federal assistance, but no decisive action has been taken yet