Several hill districts in the far-western region are going through one of the worst droughts in decades. Water sources in many districts have dried up as a result of the drought. In Dadeldhura, 47 of the 73 drinking water sources have dried up.

Seventeen lakes in the district, including Bhageshwor Tal, Asigram Tal, Ganyap Tal, Mahabharat Tal, Sukhidhang Tal and Shikar Tal have also dried up. “Drying up of lakes that are 3,000 metres above the sea level that feed almost all rivers and springs downstream is a serious concern,” said Ganesh Bhatt, climate change officer in Dadeldhura. The lakes located at the foothills of the Mahabharat range covering Dadeldhura, Baitadi and Doti districts are major sources of drinking water and irrigation for hundreds of families. “The drought has not only led to rapid shrinking of water levels in lakes but also reduced the volume of water in major rivers,” said Digambar Mishra, meteorologist at the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology in Dadeldhura. People in Dadeldhura and other districts have been worried by poor crop production due to inadequate rains and water from the ground. “It is very rare to see the lakes drying out completely,” said 82-year-old Gagan Sahu, a farmer from Bagarkot village in Dadeldhura.