KATHMANDU, July 22: Four ministers held discussions to address the drinking water and irrigation problems in Madhesh Province.
Due to very low rainfall in eight districts of Madhesh during the monsoon, a serious shortage of drinking water and irrigation has emerged. To resolve the issue, Agriculture and Livestock Minister Ramnath Adhikari took the initiative and held a meeting on Monday with Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Dipak Khadka, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Ajay Kumar Chaurasiya, and Minister for Drinking Water Pradeep Yadav.
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Secretaries from all four ministries also attended the meeting, which took place at the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation. During the meeting, Minister Adhikari informed that the ministry had deployed a team to study the impact of extremely low rainfall on rice transplantation in Madhes Province. He said the ministry would take further steps based on the suggestions provided by the team.
The meeting highlighted the drinking water crisis in Madhesh and decided to form a task force, including joint secretaries from all four ministries, to carry out the study.
The task force has been assigned to identify the problems immediately and find quick solutions. During the discussion, Water Resources and Irrigation Secretary Sarita Dawadi stated that only around 50 percent of the Terai region has access to irrigation facilities. She noted that underground water is the best option for both irrigation and drinking water.
Minister Adhikari emphasized that the government has given top priority to solving the problems faced by farmers, and therefore stressed the need for further coordination among the four ministries.
Minister Khadka said the government is committed to providing drinking water and irrigation facilities to the people as soon as possible. He urged all ministries to coordinate and expedite the work.