Prolonged heat and the lack of rainfall have led to a growing shortage of drinking water in settlements along the Chure foothills in Kanchanpur. As groundwater levels continue to decline, hand pumps, borewells, and natural springs have started drying up, forcing local residents to struggle to secure water for their daily needs.
According to local residents, the drinking water crisis has become increasingly severe in Dharampur, Bagun, Baitada, Chwanggadh Phanta, Malla Baitada, Sunar Tol, Mallo Bagun, and nearby settlements in Bedkot Municipality; Dharapani, Beldandi, Manikadham, Barregada, and other southern settlements in Shuklaphanta Municipality; as well as settlements around the Chure region in Krishnapur and Bhimdatta municipalities.
Raju Ram Bhul (Sarki) of Ward No. 4, Bedkot Municipality, said that the groundwater level has fallen significantly over the past few months. As a result, some hand pumps and borewells that previously supplied sufficient water have stopped functioning, while others now produce only a limited amount of water.
“The water flow in rivers, streams, and small natural springs originating from the Chure hills has also declined,” he said. “It has become difficult to secure drinking water, and even providing water for livestock has become a challenge.”
He added that the shortage has also affected sanitation, increasing the risk of waterborne and infectious diseases. He further complained that irregular electricity supply has prevented electric irrigation pumps from operating effectively.
Saimale Dhami of Dharapani, a Chure foothill settlement in Ward No. 8 of Shuklaphanta Municipality, said that the community depends primarily on stream water, making the declining water level a growing concern.
“Very little water is flowing in the stream now,” he said. “If it does not rain soon, the stream may dry up within a few days, forcing us to travel long distances to collect drinking water.”
The shortage of water has also affected agriculture. Farmers are increasingly worried as insufficient rainfall during the main rice transplantation season has hampered cultivation. Prakash Chaudhary, a farmer from Ward No. 3 of Shuklaphanta Municipality, said that although rice fields were initially irrigated using borewells, they are no longer supplying enough water.
“The water level in the borewells is declining,” he said. “If this continues, there is a risk that the borewells will dry up. The transplanted rice has already started to wither due to the lack of water, and seedlings waiting to be transplanted are also at risk of being damaged.” According to him, many transplanted fields have already developed cracks due to insufficient irrigation.
Punaram Chaudhary, who has worked in the environmental sector for many years, said that the continued depletion of water sources in the Chure region, deforestation, irregular rainfall, the impacts of climate change, and extreme heat have made the situation increasingly severe. Although the monsoon season has begun, he noted that inadequate rainfall has prevented groundwater from being sufficiently recharged.
The shortage of drinking water disproportionately affects children, older persons, pregnant and postpartum women, people with illnesses, and persons with disabilities.