A Cry for Water and Survival in Tarai-Madhesh
In a small but powerful demonstration, the Maitighar Mandal in Kathmandu became the stage for an urgent call to action. On a Friday evening, the space filled with the sounds of traditional folk music, not as part of a concert, but as a protest. The performers were not artists, but young activists from the Madhesh region, carrying ceramic pots and wooden ploughs as symbols of their struggle. Their message was clear: the water crisis in Tarai-Madhesh is an emergency that demands immediate and lasting solutions.
The protest, organized under the banner of the Madhesh Krishi-Jal Aandolan (Madhesh agro-water movement), featured a song that echoed the desperation of farmers. “Pani bina sukhal jayat sara jaminiya,” they sang. “Kehu ke najariyo parena… kaise jiyat kisanwa?” [All the lands are drying without water. Nobody’s paying attention. How will farmers survive?]
The crowd, made up largely of students and young activists, included individuals from both Madhesh and Kathmandu. Many wore traditional Madheshi attire or college uniforms, showing solidarity across regions. Their message was simple yet powerful: short-term fixes like deep boring would not solve the problem and could even worsen it.
The Dire Situation in Tarai-Madhesh
The water crisis in Tarai-Madhesh is not new. For years, environmentalists and activists have warned about the consequences of deforestation, soil degradation, and unregulated resource extraction. Last year, under the Chure Conservation Campaign, activists marched for 25 days from Saptari to Kathmandu, carrying empty buckets to symbolize the scarcity of water. They staged a sit-in for over three months, demanding action on Chure destruction and better water facilities. Yet, according to them, the government remained unresponsive.
As rainfall continued to evade the region, the Madhesh government declared all eight districts drought-hit. On July 23, the federal government followed suit, designating Madhesh a crisis-ridden zone. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli conducted an aerial inspection of the affected areas. Local authorities are using tankers and fire engines to distribute drinking water to some of the worst-hit districts. However, activists argue that this reliance on emergency supplies is not enough.
Government Response and Criticisms
Youth leaders argue that the government’s response lacks foresight and planning. Raj Yadav, an activist from Rautahat, stated, “The initiative from the government is not well thought out or well researched.” He pointed out that deep boring, while necessary given the current water scarcity, could further damage soil fertility in the long run.
Anjali Sah, another activist, added that in many villages, those who could afford it had already installed deep boring systems. However, when one farmer draws underground water without regulation, it dries out nearby fields, leading to further shortages. “Unplanned deep boring might solve today’s crisis, but in two to three years, it could worsen the water crisis,” she warned.
Demands for Change
The protesters laid out a series of demands. They called for immediate relief and cash compensation to drought-affected farmers who were unable to plant paddy this year. They urged the government to ensure drinking water in every ward of the Tarai-Madhesh, not through fire trucks but through a reliable and sustained system.
Another demand was for irrigation tools and agricultural electrification to be made free and accessible to all, provided in every ward. They also called for an immediate halt to riverbed extraction and its export in Koshi, Madhesh, and Lumbini provinces. A central demand was for the government to enact and enforce a Chure Conservation Act, to protect the fragile region through afforestation and pond restoration.
A Movement for Existence and Rights
“The reality that the government has long followed a policy of neglect, exploitation, and disregard towards the Tarai-Madhesh has once again become evident,” their demand letter reads. The activists worry that the Tarai-Madhesh is on the path to becoming a desert due to the destruction of the Chure hills, unscientific extraction of resources, forest encroachment, lack of irrigation, and environmental imbalance.
“So why hasn’t the government stopped the Chure destruction projects yet?” Sah asked. “That should be the utmost priority right now.”
Aside from Chure destruction, another contributing factor to the water shortage in Tarai, activists say, is the growing use of deep boring technology in the neighboring Indian states of UP and Bihar. “Since our borders are close, the underground water is naturally shared,” Sah added. “But Nepal and India don’t have any treaty on how much of that water can be used or how many deep borewells can be installed in the bordering areas.”
They have also called for the immediate construction of irrigation diversions in major rivers like Koshi, Gandak, and Kamala, and for long-delayed irrigation projects to be resumed without further delay.
“This struggle is not only for water, forests, and land,” the activists concluded. “It is also a movement for our existence, identity, and rights.”
