Several villages in the Rahiqa block of Madhubani district are experiencing the onset of a severe drinking water crisis due to intense heat and continuously declining groundwater levels. Residents in villages such as Seema, Ramnagar, Dumri, and Kakrauli, among others, are struggling as handpumps are yielding insufficient water. The water table in many handpumps has significantly dropped compared to previous levels, forcing people to exert extra effort to fetch drinking water.

Villagers report that even after operating handpumps for extended periods, very little water is extracted. This situation is particularly challenging for women, the elderly, and children. Locals fear that if the groundwater depletion continues at this rate, the situation could become much more critical in the coming days. A large number of families in these villages still rely on handpumps and local water sources, making the scarcity a major concern.

In some areas, residents are compelled to travel to other localities or handpumps with relatively better water availability to meet their daily needs. Villagers have urged the administration and concerned departments to take immediate cognizance of the matter and conduct an urgent inspection of the drinking water facilities in the affected villages to address this pressing issue.