KATHMANDU: Four federal ministers have held discussions to address the pressing drinking water and irrigation challenges in Madhes Province, exacerbated by an unusually dry monsoon season.
The meeting, initiated by Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development Ramnath Adhikari, brought together Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Deepak Khadka; Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Ajay Chaurasiya; and Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation Pradeep Yadav on Monday.
Also in attendance were secretaries from all four ministries. Minister Adhikari informed the meeting that a team has already been deployed to assess the ground situation in Madhes, where rainfall has been significantly below average. Further action will be based on the team’s findings and recommendations.
Recognizing the growing crisis, the meeting formed a task force comprising joint secretaries from the four ministries. The task force has been assigned to swiftly identify the root causes of the water shortages and propose actionable solutions.
Water Resources and Irrigation Secretary Sarita Dawadi noted that only about 50 percent of the Terai region currently has access to irrigation facilities.
She emphasized that groundwater could be a viable and sustainable solution for both irrigation and drinking water needs.
Minister Adhikari stressed the government’s strong commitment to addressing the problems faced by farmers and called for greater inter-ministerial coordination. Echoing this sentiment, Energy Minister Khadka said that the government is working urgently to ensure access to both drinking water and irrigation and urged all ministries to accelerate the implementation process through joint efforts.
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