Nepal, July 28 -- A cabinet meeting last week declared Madhesh Province a disaster crisis zone, citing an acute shortage in water supply caused by prolonged droughts. All eight districts in the province are facing a severe water shortage, which has affected the daily life of the people there. The provincial government has tried to assuage the effects of the drought by dispatching a horde of firetrucks and water supply trucks to ensure access to drinking water; the demand for water for other purposes remains unaddressed. Agriculture has been identified as the hardest hit sector, with the annual rice transplantation stalled for weeks in the absence of proper irrigation. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli embarked on an inspection tour of the prov...