Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak on Saturday instructed local authorities in the Madhesh Province to effectively coordinate and facilitate the identification of areas facing drinking water and irrigation problems, prioritising locations for the installation of deep tube wells and deep borings.

He held a discussion with chief district officers (CDOs), mayors and chairpersons of local governments in the Tarai-Madhesh region, including those in the eight districts of the Madhesh Province declared crisis-ridden.

In a virtual meeting organised by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, Minister Lekhak said that the government is serious about the suffering of citizens. He also said that it was based on a proposal from the Ministry of Home Affairs presented in a recent Cabinet meeting that Madhesh Province was declared a crisis-ridden area.

Minister Lekhak emphasised the need for continuing water distribution via tankers in areas where natural water sources are dry or unavailable. Lekhak directed the use of private tankers along with security agencies for this purpose.

“If there are water sources in government offices, schools, hospitals, or NGO offices, those should also be used for drinking purposes,” he said.

Concerned about the possibility of cartelisation and black marketing during the crisis, he directed security agencies to conduct strict monitoring.

The Authority’s executive chief, Engineer Dinesh Prasad Bhatt, informed that the authority has already requested United Nations (UN) agencies, national and international NGOs, and the Red Cross to adjust their programmes as needed and focus efforts on Madhesh.

During the meeting, mayors, chairpersons of local units and Chief District Officers from drought-affected districts, including those in Madhesh Province, shared information about the current situation in their areas and the ongoing efforts to resolve the issues.

The Cabinet meeting on Wednesday declared Madhesh Province a crisis-ridden zone, citing acute water shortages caused by prolonged drought. Earlier, on July 10, the Madhesh provincial government had declared the region drought-affected, citing the drying up of water sources and problems in drinking water and irrigation.