The Madhesh Province is reeling under severe drought. Paddy fields are drying up, soil is cracking, and the government has officially declared the region as disaster-affected. Technical teams have been deployed to assess the situation on the ground.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli conducted an aerial survey of the drought-hit areas of Madhes, underscoring the urgency of the crisis on Friday.
Amid this worsening situation, conservation ponds in the region have emerged as a beacon of hope. These protected water bodies, particularly those in the Chure region, have gained renewed importance as they help retain rainwater and sustain communities during dry spells.
Over 200 conservation ponds—both natural and artificial—have been constructed across the Chure belt of Madhes. Many of these were developed using bio-engineering techniques to collect and preserve runoff during the rainy season.
Although there is no official nationwide data on the total number of such ponds in Nepal’s Chure region, efforts are ongoing to address depleting groundwater levels. The President Chure-Tarai Madhes Conservation Development Committee, in collaboration with various environmental organisations, has been constructing recharge ponds to replenish the water table.
These efforts are seen as critical, especially in light of overexploitation of Chure resources and the growing impact of climate change, which has made water scarcity a major concern for the Terai in the years to come.
