RAUTAHAT, JULY 24
The District Disaster Management Committee (DDMC), Rautahat has concluded that Rautahat is facing a severe humanitarian crisis due to prolonged drought and has decided to appeal to the federal government for urgent relief, particularly for drinking water and irrigation.
During a meeting held at the District Administration Office in Gaur, chaired by Chief District Officer Binod Kumar Khadka, the committee resolved to recommend urgent intervention by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The committee highlighted that the drying up of water sources in municipalities such as Ishnath, Maulapur, Fatuwabijaypur, and Katahariya has left many areas without functional hand pumps, and even motorized systems have failed to extract water.
The meeting decided to recommend deep boring systems through commercial pumps in the affected wards to provide immediate relief. It also proposed similar measures for irrigation in areas lacking such infrastructure and called for relief packages for farmers impacted by the drought.
Speaking at the meeting, Maulapur Mayor Rina Sah said water sources in several wards had dried up and stressed the need for urgent alternatives. She pointed out that farmers, particularly those relying on irrigation, have been hardest hit and emphasized the need for long-term solutions.
CPN (Unified Socialist) leader Rewant Jha called on the government to take Chure deforestation seriously, arguing that the crisis is a result of environmental degradation. He urged the state to develop immediate and long-term strategies to support farmers.
Janamat Party leader Sheikh Jamshed noted the difficulty of installing deep boring systems promptly and demanded the government implement relief packages for the affected communities.
Mayors from Gaur, Rajdevi, Durgabhagwati, Katahariya, and Baudhimai municipalities also shared concerns over the worsening water scarcity in their respective areas.
The meeting saw participation from District Coordination Committee Chair Ram Ayodhya Yadav, representatives from security agencies, political parties, government offices, and civil society organizations.
