Citizens start getting water from supply tank in drought-hit Lahan

 Siraha, Aug 2: Citizens of Lahan municipality-24, who had been facing an acute shortage of drinking water, have now started receiving drinking water from storage tanks.

In Lahan, particularly in the northern settlements, shallow tube wells, the main and most reliable sources of drinking water have dried up due to a prolonged drought.

With joint support from the Wicken Project and WaterAid, arrangements have been made to supply water to the locals from a 2,000-liter capacity tank transported by a water tanker vehicle.

Mayor Mahesh Prasad Chaudhary stated that the municipality has planned to distribute four liters of drinking water per person daily, free of cost, for the next three months. "The programme will be extended if needed," he added.

The settlement is home to around 60 families, who now fetch water using buckets and other vessels.

The Wicken Project has already allocated Rs two million to implement the programme in coordination with Lahan Municipality and the Water Supply Office.

Local resident Purna Bahadur Sarki expressed relief at receiving drinking water in the locality. "Drinking water has become like our lifeline these days," he said. "We also struggle to manage water for washing clothes, daily use, and for our cattle. We wait for the rains."

Other areas, including Lahan municipality wards 13, 15, 16, 17, and 18, have also been severely affected by the water shortage. The local government has plans to reach out to these areas with drinking water supplies as well.

The drought has led to the depletion and drying up of water sources such as wells, ponds, hand tube wells, and irrigation systems.

Jagabir Yadav of Lahan-13 shared that this is the worst drought he has experienced in six decades. "The Salahesh Garden Pond and the Saraswoti Stream have also dried up," he noted.

Environment expert Dinesh Yadav stressed the urgency of preserving the Chure region in the Tarai/Madhesh as a sustainable solution to the region’s ongoing water crisis. (RSS)