Aagya Khabar
Janakpurdham
The Dhanusha district of Madhesh Province is currently grappling with a severe agricultural crisis. Due to prolonged dry weather and lack of water, most of the fields in the district remain barren. This is the season when rice paddies should be turning lush green, but instead, the land is cracking and seeds are drying up.
It has been over 15 days since the region witnessed satisfactory rainfall. According to the Harinath Weather Center, only 12.6 millimeters of rainfall was recorded in the last 24 hours—far from sufficient for paddy cultivation. Local farmers say that even with the use of motor pumps and hand pumps, irrigation has become nearly impossible as the water table has dropped drastically.
Nandakishor Pokharel, a farmer from Chhireshwarnath Municipality–5, says, “I was hoping to plant rice on 9 katthas of land, but I haven’t been able to arrange water. The seeds are drying up day by day. If it doesn’t rain soon, we might have to go hungry for the rest of the year.”
It’s not just Dhanusha—other districts in Madhesh Province are also reeling under drought conditions. Acknowledging the severity of the situation, the provincial government has declared the region a ‘drought-affected area,’ signaling both the federal and provincial governments to take urgent relief and long-term mitigation actions.
More Than Just Crops—A Threat to Livelihoods
For farmers in Madhesh, rice is not just a crop—it is the foundation of their livelihood. According to Sudip Chaudhary, a plant protection officer at the Directorate of Agricultural Development, “If there is no sufficient rainfall within the next week, over 50 percent of the paddy crop could be lost. This will not only affect food security but also severely impact farmers’ incomes.”
Some farmers have already given up on waiting for the rains and decided not to plant paddy this year. Their fields are cracked and the seeds are starting to decay. Given their weak financial conditions, most farmers lack access to alternative solutions.
Hope for Aid, But Relief is Delayed
The provincial government has started assessing the damage caused by the drought. Though there are plans to distribute drought-resistant seeds, expand access to irrigation technologies, and provide subsidies to farmers, these relief measures have yet to reach the grassroots.
Local farmer groups and leaders have urged the federal government to announce an immediate relief package, provide emergency irrigation facilities, and implement climate-resilient agricultural policies.
“There are plenty of plans, but no time,” says local leader Ram Saran Yadav. “If we spend too long drafting strategies on paper, farmers’ lives will collapse. This crisis cannot be solved without immediate intervention.”
For now, farmers in Madhesh look up to the sky, hoping to see clouds gather. But with each passing day of scorching sun, that hope dims. The drought is drying not only their rice fields, but their future as well.
