KATHMANDU, JULY 26

The Rastriya Mukti Party Nepal (RMP-N), led by Rajendra Mahato, has expressed deep concern about the ongoing drought in the Tarai-Madhes region.

According to an RMP-N statement, this is more than just a natural disaster. It is the result of long-term neglect of the state structure, exploitation of water-forest-land, and exploitation caused by the Western colonial development model.

'The land of Madhes has become not only drought-ridden but also famine-prone and hopeless due to a continuous decrease in rainfall, low groundwater recharge, extreme destruction of irrigation infrastructure, and uncontrolled exploitation of the Chure region,' reads the statement.

'Drought is not only destroying farmland, but a lack of drinking water has caused a severe crisis in people's lives. Every household experiences distress. There is no water for the children or grass for the cattle. The elderly, women, and farmers are staring at the sky as wells dry up. This is more than a water crisis; it's an existential crisis.'

According to the leader of RMP-N, Anil Mahaseth, the government's laxity, political colonialism, and insensitivity have exacerbated the disaster.

'The mindset of treating Terai-Madhes as a vote bank, combined with structural inequality, has resulted in the current situation,' he said.

'RMP-N has long emphasised that development does not imply the destruction of the environment or nature, but rather the restoration of community livelihoods. Only conservation of the Chure, balanced use of water-forest-land, and an agricultural system based on local resources offer long-term solutions. It is necessary to implement a collective, local-level-based agricultural policy that considers the effects of climate change.'

The RMPN has also called for the immediate implementation of an emergency relief plan for food, drinking water, fodder, and medicine for the drought-affected Madhesh region, which has been declared a 'national crisis'. It has also called for the implementation of a loan waiver and rehabilitation plan. Furthermore, it has recommended that drought-related loans for farmers should be waived. Seeds, food, and agricultural equipment should all be eligible for free assistance, it stated.

It has also demanded that the supply of electricity should be unhindered, drinking water and agricultural electricity should be declared free and irrigation and drinking water equipment (pump sets, motors, deep tube wells, and solar motors, including irrigation materials) should be duty-free on the recommendation of the local government.

In yet another demand, RMP-N has asked for relief to be viewed as a humanitarian crisis rather than a political issue. The central and provincial governments must rise above party politics and address this issue as a national responsibility, it stated.

Furthermore, it stated that concrete policy changes should be implemented to achieve a permanent solution. Legal/executive action should be taken to prevent the Chure's destruction, it added.

Small reservoirs, ponds, and rainwater harvesting systems should be restored. Climate-friendly seeds, irrigation, and fertilisers must be provided, and community agricultural cooperatives should be strengthened, as per the statement issued by RMP-N.