Amid Nepal’s monsoon season, Madhesh Province is facing an acute water shortage, prompting the provincial government to mobilise fire engines and other vehicles to deliver water to affected communities.

Traditional water sources are drying up due to prolonged drought conditions, and various districts including Bara and Parsa are among the hardest hit. Officials said residents in other areas are also struggling after hand pumps and tube wells stopped working.

To address the crisis, Madhesh Chief Minister Satish Kumar Singh on Wednesday deployed eight fire engines stationed in Janakpur.

The fire engines were purchased by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Communications and Law at the end of the last fiscal year, but they had not yet been handed over to local governments.

“The province has not received adequate rainfall for a long time, resulting in a severe drinking water problem,” Singh said. “To mitigate this, we’ve mobilised all eight provincial fire engines, seven additional tankers from the Nepal Army, and three more vehicles from the Forest Office–a total of 18 vehicles are distributing water across settlements.”

The provincial fire engines, each with a capacity of 5,000 litres, are being operated in coordination with the Nepal Army, which has been temporarily assigned responsibility for their operation.

Singh said the provincial government will cover fuel and logistical costs.

Awadhesh Jha, Singh’s press advisor, said the mobilisation was based on a decision made by the Provincial Disaster Management Executive Committee.

“These fire engines will be in operation 24 hours a day in areas suffering from the water crisis,” Jha said.

Singh also said the provincial government stood with the people during this hardship and has been coordinating with the federal government to seek further support.

On Tuesday evening, he discussed additional measures to address the shortage with the federal Minister for Water Supply Pradeep Yadav.