The soil of the Tarai tells a growing story of thirst. For generations, this fertile region, the breadbasket of the country, has depended on the monsoon rains. But that is changing. The rains are now unreliable, and the once-productive earth is cracking under the pressure of recurring droughts.
In response, the government has stepped forward with what seems like a straightforward fix: digging deep bore wells. It is a promise that sounds as refreshing as the water it aims to deliver.
The plan is simple. Drill deeper than the shallow wells that are now running dry and tap into the vast underground aquifers below. From the perspective of officials in Singha Durbar, this is a decisive step to fight climate change and water insecurity. The goal is to create a stable, year-round water supply, freeing farmers from their dependence on unpredictable rain and bringing drinking water to villages where taps have long stopped flowing. It is a hopeful vision: green fields thriving even in the dry season.
But is it that simple? Can we really drill our way out of a deeper environmental imbalance?
While the immediate relief these wells can offer is undeniable, it exposes us to other risks. Experience from other parts of the world serves as a critical, if sobering, lesson. In Spain, a region that has also battled the twin demons of intensive farming and water scarcity, a revealing study was conducted on the Los Arenales aquifer. Scientists there compared two neighbouring zones. One area, Los Arenales (LA), began to replenish its groundwater through a planned process called managed aquifer recharge (MAR). The other, Medina del Campo (MC), did not.
The results over 20 years were stark. The area practicing replenishment saw its groundwater levels recover by about 2 meters. The other region, the one that just kept pumping, watched its water table drop by a staggering 4 meters, leaving it far more vulnerable to droughts. This isn’t just data on a page; it’s a cautionary tale about treating our groundwater like an inexhaustible bank account. The Spanish experience shows that without making deposits, the account eventually runs dry.
The potential downsides hit closer to home than we might think. Over-extraction does not just drain the deep aquifers; it can starve the entire ecosystem. The shallow wells on which our poorest farmers depend could vanish. Our precious wetlands, like the Ghodaghodi and Beeshazari lakes, which rely on a high water table, could also shrink, taking with them irreplaceable biodiversity. The Spanish study noted that while MAR helped wetlands reappear, the clear implication is that mindless extraction does the opposite. We risk creating a tiered system of water access, where only those who can afford to drill deeper and pay for the electricity to pump it up survive, leaving smaller farmers quite literally in the dust.
Hydrologists have called for a more thoughtful and balanced approach to water extraction. “Viewing this as just an engineering problem will be a serious mistake,” says Dr Suresh Adhikari, a veteran water expert. “We are talking about a living system. Tapping into deep aquifers without a clear plan for recharge and conservation is like trying to cure a fever by draining the patient’s blood. It may ease the symptoms for now, but the long-term outcome can be fatal.”
On the ground, however, farmers are caught in a more immediate struggle. “Experts can talk about ten years from now,” Ram Bahadur Chaudhary from Kapilvastu said, pointing to his withered crops. “But I have to feed my children today. If there is water under my feet, I need it now.”
His desperation is real and should not be ignored. But it also should not be the only factor guiding national water policy. The government’s plan for deep boring, though well-intentioned, addresses the symptom, not the root of the problem.
The solution is not to avoid using groundwater, but to use it wisely. We need a future where extraction is paired with responsibility. That means adopting a multi-pronged strategy:
- Invest in Recharge: We must collect and channel monsoon rainwater back into the ground to refill the aquifers we rely on. Since it has worked in Spain, it can work here too.
- Reduce Demand: We need to rethink how we use water by promoting drip irrigation, reducing waste and shifting toward crops that require less water. These small changes can ease the pressure on our water systems.
- Use Water Smartly: A balanced approach is to use surface water from rivers when it is available and rely on groundwater only during dry spells. This conjunctive use model builds long-term resilience.
- Monitor and Regulate: Groundwater is a national resource and must be managed wisely. Clear rules and constant monitoring are essential to prevent the kind of overuse that has led other regions into crisis.
Soon, the deep wells will be drilled and water will flow. For a while, it may feel like a victory. But the real test will be whether we manage this resource with the foresight and discipline it demands. Without that, we are not solving the problem; we are just drilling ourselves deeper into a crisis.
(Khanal is a postgraduate in Agricultural Sciences. He has been involved in agricultural projects for over 15 years.
