Rain after long droughts delights Urlabari farmers

By Our Correspondent,Urlabari, May 13: On Sunday many areas of Morang experienced rainfall after long periods of drought. The rain the corn crops of farmers.

Many areas of Morang hadn’t experienced rain since February. The estuaries inside the jungle had dried up because of the drought. All areas of the district have experienced rain since Sunday morning. The sources of Bhaluwa and Sukuna rivers of the Kanepokhari area, Morang had dried up because of the long drought. 

Chabilal Parajuli, a 100-year-old resident, said, “I moved here from Tehrathum in 2027 BS. I don’t remember the hand pumps and sources of water in this area drying up for 54 years. All the canals of villages near the jungle will be full with the water from the canals of Bhaluwa and Sukuna rivers. 

He added, “This year all the crops have dried up and turned into hay. Not just the sources of water but the hand pumps, and borings that draw water have also gone dry.” On the other hand, the water level in Betani wetlands, Urlabari has also decreased. Ants had begun moving around in the Lampate wetlands. Locals said the estuaries will get filled after rainfall starts.

Padam Prasad Koirala of Kanepokhari-7 said that the wetlands dried up after the water supply projects near the jungle used big motor pumps to draw water. Century-old springs have gone dry. The reason for the drying of these springs is not just the drought but also the building of water supply projects, said Koirala. 

Baikuntha ghaat of Khanepokhari-7 which used to see rain 12 months a year, does not have a drop of water. Khanepokhari Rural Municipality and Drinking Water and Sanitation Consumer Committee has laid a 2-km pipe to take water to Baikuntha ghaat to wash the pyres. 

According to locals, the estuaries were also affected during the building of the East-West Highway. Laxmi Prasad Bhattarai of Jirikhimti, Pathari Shanishchare-10, said, “Once the pipe was buried, water kept coming from the pipe. Now only a quarter of the water comes from the pipe.”

Letang’s River Teli and Miklu flooded after the rain on Sunday night. The sources of River Dans and Morangi have burst after the rain.