BETTIAH, July 25 -- Amid soaring temperatures and an intense heatwave, a large section of the population in and around Raxaul town in Bihar's East Champaran district is grappling with a severe water crisis, triggered by depleting groundwater levels and inadequate infrastructure. "Bathing and washing clothes are not allowed," reads a notice by a house owner who has access to water through deep boring. Another private house displays a similar notice: "Water supply will be available from 7am to 9 am and 7pm to 9 pm." These notices starkly highlight the growing divide between the 'haves' and 'have-nots' when it comes to water access in the town. Speaking to Hindustan Times, Raxaul Nagar Parishad's Executive Officer Manish Kumar admitted that the entire town-spread across 25 wards and adjoining villages within a 5-7 km radius-is experiencing major disruptions in water supply. "We are deploying five water tankers daily to serve the residents, but even then, around 30% of the urban population continues to suffer from acute water shortage," he said. Home to approximately 70,000 people, Raxaul-situated in the Tarai region along the Nepal border-has traditionally relied on hand pumps, private deep boring systems, and limited supply from the Nal Jal Yojana in select areas. Serms Gupta, a resident of College Road in Ward 19, waits in a queue with other women as a water tanker arrives. Balancing a large plastic tub of dirty clothes on her head, she hopes to collect enough water for drinking and household chores. "We've been living here for years, but never faced a crisis like this. The situation could have been averted if timely action had been taken. The Nal Jal Yojana is practically defunct in our ward," she said. "The situation is so dire that people queue up outside houses with deep boring facilities. But even those residents are now overwhelmed by the constant demand for water," said Sonu Gupta, ward councillor of Ward 19....