Groundwater Depletion in Terai Region

For generations, the Terai region—the fertile lowland belt stretching across southern Nepal and bordering northern India—has carried a proud title: the “breadbasket” of the nation. Blessed with rich alluvial soil and historically abundant water tables, this belt produces a massive portion of the region’s staple crops.

But beneath the lush green fields of rice and wheat, a quiet ecological disaster is unfolding.

The Terai is running dry. Across many settlements, from Kanchanpur in the west to Birgunj in the central plains, handpumps are yielding nothing but dust, and tube wells that once struck water at 30 feet must now be drilled past 100 feet just to reach a receding water table.

What is causing this unprecedented crisis, and how can we save the region before its fields turn completely infertile?