Sugandhi Devi of Patharabudhram village, Maulapur-6, has heard that elections are being held on 21 Falgun. No leaders have arrived to ask for votes. If she meets any leaders, she has vowed to raise only one issue, which is the problem of drinking water.

Sugandhi's house does not get water during the dry season. She has to go dozens of times a day to collect water from the 'deep boring'. The hassle of carrying water does not allow her to devote enough time to other chores. She says, 'Whenever leaders come to seek votes, we first ask them to arrange for drinking water for the entire month. Then let's see what they promise.'

Sugandhi is not the only one facing the problem of drinking water; during drought, the water pipes of more than 400 households in Patharabudhram village alone dry up. The municipality has installed 10 deep borings in Patharadhuram village. The locals carry drinking water from there. 

According to local Surendra Yadav, nearly 800 households in Ward No. 5 and 6 of Maulapur Municipality have been facing drinking water problems for the past three years. "No one has taken the initiative to study why the water tanks started drying up and find a permanent solution," says Yadav. "That is why the common man has a question whether the water in the candidate's election agenda is just an assurance or a solution."

When the water shortage was ongoing, the then Chief Minister Satish Kumar Singh mobilized fire engines on Ashad 32 for supply. Eight fire engines purchased by the Ministry of Home, Communications and Law of Madhesh Province were yet to be handed over to the local level, and those same fire engines were mobilized for drinking water. Seven tankers of the Nepali Army and three vehicles of the Forest Office were also used to distribute drinking water to the settlements of Bara and Parsa. On the recommendation of the Madhesh Province government, the federal government declared a drought crisis on Shrawan 7. In many villages of Madhesh, water tanks start drying up after Chait-Baishakh. Water does not come from the water tanks until there is sufficient rain. 

Sumi Bhandari of Birgunj says that even now, water does not come from the water tanks of some houses. "The government is becoming a joke. It does not understand the people's problems. We should find a solution rather than asking why there is a shortage of water in Madhesh," he says. He said that during the last drought, when there was no water in the tap, the locals were forced to buy bottled and jarred water and drink it.

During the drought of last July-August, there was also a shortage of drinking water in Nargho Paschim Tole of Rajgadh Rural Municipality-3 in Saptari. The residents of that tole, which is home to 150 households, bought bottled and jarred water at high prices. The poor, Dalit families lived on pond water. 

There are 150 households in Dhangadhimai Municipality-13 Bharnaini in Siraha. After the dry season, they have to rely on deep boring. The municipality has installed two borings for the entire village. According to local Radha Ram, even during the drought, there is not enough water from the borings. The Birgunj Metropolitan Municipality had conducted research last July to find out the groundwater level. At the request of the Metropolitan Mayor Rajeshman Singh, a technical team from the Ministry of Drinking Water measured the ground water level at various places using a 'ground X-ray' machine. 

The study showed that the water level was frozen at 60 to 80 meters, while the metropolis was informed that the proper level was found only at 120 to 135 meters. Engineer of the metropolis, Rokash Sah, said that although the technical team measured the ground water level, no report was given about the water level. 

There are 60 households in the Musahar settlement in Chandrapur-9 of Rautahat. There are only 10 water tanks for them. Genakumari Majhi (Musahar), who was found filling water from a neighbor's tap on Tuesday, said, 'We have to struggle for water too.' He says that even if there is water in the nearby Chaudhary settlement, he is afraid to go to get it. 

Local Jogendra Musahar says that during droughts, Dalits and squatters are the most affected. ‘During drought, the taps dry up and water is scarce,’ he says. 

The then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, while inaugurating a maternity home in Matihani Municipality-6 of Mahottari on 9th Shrawan, announced that 500 deep borings would be installed immediately in the first phase to solve the drinking water and irrigation problems in Madhesh Province. But so far, no process of installing the borings has moved forward. 

Madhesh Province Chief Minister Krishna Prasad Yadav says that the process could not be moved forward due to the federal government’s reluctance to provide budget. ‘When there was a water crisis in Madhesh, he came and spoke, but where was the budget?’ he says, ‘Even after repeatedly raising the issue with the Ministry of Drinking Water, no interest was shown.’ 

Madhesh Province MP Yubaraj Bhattarai says that Madhesh is on the verge of a serious drinking water crisis due to the rapid decline in groundwater levels due to exploitation of Chure and climate change. ‘Only if we can store water by building ponds in the Chure core and various places in Madhesh can we reduce the water scarcity,’ he says, ‘Adequate budget should be allocated for water recharge, and conservation of Chure should be a priority.’

The main sources of water in Madhesh are wells, wells and taps. Most of the wells and wells have been destroyed. Traditional taps have stopped drawing water. Due to uncontrolled mining and deforestation in the Chure region, the water recharge process in Madhesh has been destroyed. With the increase in population density, groundwater is being drawn more for domestic use and irrigation. 

‘Changes in the monsoon and long-term drought have dried up even natural reservoirs,’ said Sunil Kumar Yadav, chairman of the Chure and Forest Conservation Campaign. ‘At one time, water would come out at a rapid rate if you dug 40/50 feet. Even if you dig 300 feet deep in the dry season, only sand and hot air come out instead of water.’

Drinking water has now become the main problem of Madhesh. Therefore, drinking water is seen to be the strongest election issue in this election, more than roads, electricity and other physical infrastructure. 

In Madhesh, which has a population of 6.1 million, only 24 percent, or about 1.5 million, have safe drinking water facilities, while 600,000 have access to drinking water, but this issue does not seem to have become an election issue . 

Jagannath Kesari, president of the civil society organization Rautahat, says that the water shortage in Madhesh has now become not just a social problem but a serious political issue. ‘If timely attention is not paid to the solution, water can wash away the political future of many leaders in the upcoming elections,’ he says, ‘Voters are now looking for a pot of clean water before roads and bridges.’

In previous elections too, the slogan of tap water was heard in every household. But Sukdev Paswan of Chandrapur-8 squatter village says that these slogans have only proven to be a weapon to win elections. ‘After winning elections, leaders forget the thirst of our village,’ he says, ‘this time we need a strong promise.’ There are about a hundred households in his village. Most of them do not have running water.

Chief Minister Krishna Prasad Yadav says that the extreme shortage of drinking water and irrigation in Madhesh Province in recent years is not only natural but also human and managerial reasons. ‘Now this problem needs to be solved not only to show commitment to win elections but also to save the existence of Madhesh,’ he says. 

According to the National Statistics Office, the number of covered wells/wells in Madhesh Province is 8,072. The number of open wells/wells is 13,857. There are 830,219 tubewells (hand pumps). 84,653 households have taps installed. As the source itself is drying up, they do not get enough water. 

Kiran Poudel, chairman of the Presidential Chure-Terai-Madhesh Development and Conservation Committee, says that the Chure Mountains are the most affected by climate change. ‘Today, the rains are of a short duration, not for many days. Due to this, water does not penetrate the ground,’ he says, ‘The local level has also not put forward water conservation programs.’ 

According to Poudel, a budget of 20 billion is required in the Chure and water conservation in the Terai-Madhesh region, but the government is allocating only 1 billion. ‘It costs up to 20 million to dig a single pond. The Irrigation Department also draws groundwater and brings it out but cannot conserve it,’ he says, ‘The state has not been able to invest in water conservation. Illegal mining is not the only reason for water shortage.’ 

Although 45 percent of the total land area in Nepal is forested, only 3.72 percent of the densely populated Madhesh province has forested areas. Whereas for a clean environment, at least 40 percent of the total area should be forested.