Though a farmer by calling, she did not even bother to go to her fields as she knew that the land was still dry for lack of rain. With little rainfall over the past weeks, her already-hoed fields have started to harden, with thick clumps of soil at the corners and edges.
A gaze at the parched fields easily wanders off over the hoe lines stretching towards the horizon in a brownish haze."This year has been a double curse. First came the earthquake which damaged part of my house, and now this dry monsoon. I have no idea how long I'll have to wait for the much needed rain," said Maharjan.
According to her, it has not rained sufficiently for more than a week now, with only sporadic showers once in a while.
"Paddy cultivation requires the fields to be overflowing with water. I only pray that the rains come as soon as possible and bring life to our fields," she said.
Like Maharjan, locals in the area have been feeling the brunt of a tardy monsoon. Rainfall is the major source of water for Kirtipur, a town perched atop a hill. Those with fields located near public taps are more fortunate as all the water that drains out ends up in the fields.
"I still remember Kirtipur joyous with celebrations on this auspicious day in past years. Having completed the sowing, eating beaten rice and curd with relish and frolicking in the fields would continue throughout the day. I miss that excitement and those scenes of happiness," said another local, Hemsagar Maharjan.
Hari Prasad Chhaju of Thimi in Bhaktapur district is equally dismayed. His four ropanis have been awaiting sufficient rain for almost a week now. All the fields have been worked and readied for the sowing but the expected rainfall is nowhere in sight.
"To my knowledge, only 20 percent of the total cultivated area in the district has managed irrigation for their fields and the rest is waiting for the heavy rains. I fear my seedlings will deteriorate and there will not be a proper yield if the rains are delayed any further," said Chhaju.
Speaking during a function, Joint Spokesperson at the Ministry of Agriculture Development, Shanker Prasad Sapkota, said that of the around 1 million 425 thousand hectares of land suitable for paddy cultivation in the country, rice had been planted on only eight percent as of now.
This data in percentages clearly shows the decreasing trend of rice cultivation in Nepal. Rice contributes to 52 percent of the total cereal production in the country.
Weather experts had predicted a weak monsoon surge in Nepal. Metereologist blame the El Nino conditions that were active in the Pacific Ocean. These have affected the formation of monsoon clouds that are now spreading across the subcontinent.
Normally, the monsoon accounts for almost 80 percent of the total rainfall in the country during the year. The conventional school of thought is that the monsoon in Nepal usually begins around June 10 and lasts until around September 23.
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