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Jaleshwor, July 26: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Friday announced the immediate installation of 500 deep boring water systems in Madhesh Province to address the worsening water crisis.

The announcement came during the inauguration of a bridge over the Bighi River in Matihani-8 and a maternity hospital in Ward 6 of Mahottari district. Earlier, the Prime Minister conducted an aerial inspection of drought-hit areas. Following a Cabinet meeting on July 23, Madhesh was declared a disaster zone for three months due to prolonged drought.

Highlighting the severe shortage of drinking water and irrigation across the province, Oli said much of the land looked parched during his aerial survey. He assured coordinated efforts with stakeholders to resolve the crisis and reaffirmed his commitment to ensure drinking water and irrigation in all eight districts.

Oli noted that Saptari, being near the Saptakoshi River, was less affected, while the government is actively addressing the water shortage in the remaining districts. He also pledged a special support program for those most impacted, including farmers.

Stressing the link between education and development, Oli urged locals to prioritize schooling: “Where there is education, there is development. Without it, there is poverty and deprivation,” he said.

Lawmakers Demand Urgent Relief for Farmers

In the House of Representatives on Friday, lawmakers urged the government to immediately roll out a relief package for drought-hit farmers in Terai-Madhesh. They called for concessions on electricity used for irrigation and other support measures.

Janardan Sharma (CPN-Maoist Centre) advocated discounts on irrigation power use, while Ram Prakash Chaudhary (Loktantrik Samajbadi Party Nepal) urged immediate subsidies and relief. Yogendra Mandal, Prakash Adhikari, and Sanjay Kumar Gautam called for special aid to climate-impacted areas, warning that paddy crops are drying up.

Purna Bahadur Gharti Magar flagged transportation issues in Rukum due to damaged roads, and Bhagawati Chaudhary raised health concerns over unchecked groundwater use. Chandra Bahadur Bishwokarma demanded free treatment for road accident victims.

Meanwhile, Rastriya Swatantra Party repeated its call for a high-level judicial or parliamentary probe into the visit visa scam. Lawmaker Binita Kadayat said the issue has drawn international attention, while Dr. Dhawal Shumsher JB Rana expressed hope for a fair verdict on the March 28 Tinkune incident.