Officials explore ways to retain water within Chure

By Vijay Kumar Sah,Dhalkeber, Aug. 21: Elected representatives of Mithila Municipality, Dhanusha, along with a technical team from the President Chure-Tarai Madhes Conservation and Development Committee Implementation Unit, Dhalkeber, conducted a field visit on Tuesday to study water sources in the Chure region.

The visit was carried out to explore ways to retain water within the Chure hills and recharge groundwater. 

Prem Prasad Sah, Chief of the Implementation Unit, said the team observed the source areas of the Aurahi and Basahi rivers to identify methods to store water that currently flows away unused, so it can seep into the ground. 

He added that building check dams in geographically and technically suitable sites could be a solution, and that construction would proceed after further studies by the Ministry of Forests and Environment, and experts.

He said that this year’s prolonged drought has lowered groundwater levels in the Tarai, leaving handpumps, wells and shallow tube wells dry. 

According to him, if structures like check dams are built in Chure to stop water from flowing away, it will recharge groundwater and raise the water table.

Mahendra Mahato, Mayor of Mithila Municipality, said the municipality has been continuously working to find ways to retain rainwater in Chure. Pledging support from the municipality, he said that building check dams in rivers originating from Chure could help channel water underground and ease the current water crisis.

Technical officer Ram Ishwar Sah of the Implementation Unit said four sites in the Aurahi River and two in the Basahi River have been initially identified for constructing check dams. 

He added that further study will determine the most suitable sites geographically and technically. Stressing that there is no alternative to retaining rainwater in Chure, he said such measures will increase groundwater storage.