Siraha: Farmers in Siraha district, who had been grappling with a prolonged drought, found relief after experiencing rainfall last night. The much-needed rain has brought optimism to the region, where nearly 50 percent of the paddy fields remained unplanted due to insufficient rainfall.
According to National News Agency Nepal, farmers had faced their lands drying up, seedlings turning yellow, and paddy plantation becoming nearly impossible due to the lack of water. Birendra Chaudhary, a local farmer from Lahan-8, expressed hope that the rain would enable the transplantation of yellowing seeds, although he noted that the water supply was still inadequate.
Badri Narayan Yadav, the Agriculture Coordinator at Lahan Municipality, shared a similar view. He mentioned that the recent rainfall was insufficient and emphasized that continuous rain for a day or two would greatly facilitate paddy planting. However, the current weather does not promise such conditions, he added.
In the southern part of Siraha, farmers relied on underground water sources for paddy plantation, but those in the northern region struggled without this option. The Agriculture Knowledge Centre Siraha reported that only half of the paddy plantation had been completed as of last Friday.
According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, the monsoon’s low-pressure line is moving towards Nepal, causing light to moderate rain in some areas. However, this system had been active in India for a prolonged period, resulting in arid conditions in the Madhesh region. The Department recorded varying rainfall amounts across Madhesh Province in the past 24 hours, with Siraha and Saptari receiving the highest rainfall at 99.4 mm and 91.8 mm, respectively, while Sarlahi reported the lowest at 48 mm.
Continuous rainfall is crucial to complete the remaining paddy plantation in Siraha and other districts across the Province. It is noteworthy that the cabinet meeting on July 23 had declared Madhesh Province a disaster-hit zone for three months due to the severe water shortage caused by the prolonged drought.