Crops are wilting because of prologned dry spell in southern Ramechhap, causing concern for local farmers. 

Rajkumar Bohara, a farmer from Tiplung, said crops planted on hundreds of hectares of land were dying out due to lack of water. 

“I do not remember taking so long for monsoon to arrive. There has not been rainfall since mid-May,” he said. 

In Nagdaha village, maize planted by farmers have dried up well before hitting the flowering stage. The farm owners have been hit hard as a result. 

Usually, the annual monsoon season in the country starts on June 10. This year, however, monsoon has been slightly delayed, according to  the weather department.  

“Farmers in Ramechhap are eagerly waiting for monsoon to arrive,” Bohara said. “This is the season for rice plantation but many farmers have been unable to transplant rice seedlings because there is no water.”   

According to the District Agriculture Development Office (DADO), the dry spell has mostly affected those villages that solely rely on rain to water their farms.

“The overall crop output of those villages will fall sharply if there is no rain for another week,” said Rajendra Malla, a senior officer at the DADO.

Meanwhile, lack of rainfall has also caused drinking water shortage in various parts of Ramechhap. The people of Pakarbas, Rampur and Bhirpani are reeling under an acute shortage of water as the local springs—their only source of water—have either dried up or in the process of drying. At some places the scarcity has reached to the point where locals are transporting water from Koshi river.